LTC3414 4A, 4MHz, Monolithic Synchronous Step-Down Regulator DESCRIPTIO U FEATURES ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ High Efficiency: Up to 95% 4A Output Current Low Quiescent Current: 64μA Low RDS(ON) Internal Switch: 67mΩ Programmable Frequency: 300KHz to 4MHz 2.25V to 5.5V Input Voltage Range ±2% Output Voltage Accuracy 0.8V Reference Allows Low Output Voltage Selectable Forced Continuous/Burst Mode® Operation with Adjustable Burst Clamp Synchronizable Switching Frequency Low Dropout Operation: 100% Duty Cycle Power Good Output Voltage Monitor Overtemperature Protected Available in 20-Lead Exposed TSSOP Package U APPLICATIO S ■ ■ ■ ■ Point-of-Load Regulation Notebook Computers Portable Instruments Distributed Power Systems , LTC and LT are registered trademarks of Linear Technology Corporation. Burst Mode and OPTI-LOOP are registered trademarks of Linear Technology Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Protected by U.S. Patents, Including 5481178, 6580258, 6304066, 6127815, 6498466, 6611131, 6724174 The LTC®3414 is a high efficiency monolithic synchronous, step-down DC/DC converter utilizing a constant frequency, current mode architecture. It operates from an input voltage range of 2.25V to 5.5V and provides a regulated output voltage from 0.8V to 5V while delivering up to 4A of output current. The internal synchronous power switch with 67mΩ on-resistance increases efficiency and eliminates the need for an external Schottky diode. Switching frequency is set by an external resistor or can be synchronized to an external clock. 100% duty cycle provides low dropout operation extending battery life in portable systems. OPTI-LOOP® compensation allows the transient response to be optimized over a wide range of loads and output capacitors. The LTC3414 can be configured for either Burst Mode operation or forced continuous operation. Forced continuous operation reduces noise and RF interference while Burst Mode operation provides high efficiency by reducing gate charge losses at light loads. In Burst Mode operation, external control of the burst clamp level allows the output voltage ripple to be adjusted according to the requirements of the application. U TYPICAL APPLICATIO 22μF LTC3414 Efficiency Curve VIN 2.7V TO 5.5V 100 PVIN SVIN RT RITH* 470pF VOUT 2.5V AT 4A COUT* SW RUN/SS PGND ITH SGND VFB SYNC/MODE 75k 85 80 75 FORCED CONTINUOUS 70 65 3414 F01a 110k Burst Mode OPERATION 90 0.47μH LTC3414 294k 1000pF 95 PGOOD EFFICIENCY (%) 2.2M 392k 60 55 50 0.001 *Burst Mode OPERATION: COUT = 470μF SANYO POSCAP 4TPB470M, RITH = 20k FORCED CONTINUOUS: COUT = (2) 100μF TDKC4532X5ROJ107M, RITH = 12.1k 0.01 0.1 1.0 LOAD CURRENT (A) 10 3414 F01b Figure 1. 2.5V/4A Step-Down Regulator 3414fb 1 LTC3414 U W W W ABSOLUTE AXI U RATI GS U W U PACKAGE/ORDER I FOR ATIO (Note 1) Input Supply Voltage ................................... –0.3V to 6V ITH, RUN/SS, VFB, SYNC/MODE Voltages .................................. –0.3 to VIN SW Voltages ................................. –0.3V to (VIN + 0.3V) Peak SW Sink and Source Current ......................... 9.5A Operating Temperature Range (Note 2) E, I Grades .............................................. – 40°C to 85°C MP Grade ............................................. – 55°C to 125°C Junction Temperature (Notes 5, 6) ....................... 125°C Storage Temperature Range ................. – 65°C to 150°C Lead Temperature (Soldering, 10 sec).................. 300°C TOP VIEW PGND 1 RT 2 19 VFB SYNC/MODE 3 18 ITH RUN/SS 4 SGND 5 ORDER PART NUMBER 20 PGND LTC3414EFE LTC3414IFE LTC3414MPFE 17 PGOOD 21 NC 6 16 SVIN 15 NC PVIN 7 14 PVIN SW 8 13 SW SW 9 12 SW PGND 10 11 PGND FE PACKAGE 20-LEAD PLASTIC TSSOP EXPOSED PAD (PIN 21), MUST BE SOLDERED TO PCB TJMAX = 125°C, θJA = 38°C/W, θJC = 10°C/W Order Options Tape and Reel: Add #TR Lead Free: Add #PBF Lead Free Tape and Reel: Add #TRPBF Lead Free Part Marking: http://www.linear.com/leadfree/ ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS The ● denotes the specifications which apply over the full operating temperature range, otherwise specifications are at TA = 25°C. VIN = 3.3V unless otherwise specified. SYMBOL VIN IFB VFB PARAMETER Input Voltage Range Feedback Pin Input Current Regulated Feedback Voltage ΔVFB VLOADREG Reference Voltage Line Regulation Output Voltage Load Regulation ΔVPGOOD RPGOOD IQ Power Good Range Power Good Resistance Input DC Bias Current Active Current Sleep Shutdown Switching Frequency Switching Frequency Range SYNC Capture Range RDS(ON) of P-Channel FET RDS(ON) of N-Channel FET Peak Current Limit Undervoltage Lockout Threshold SW Leakage Current RUN Threshold fOSC fSYNC RPFET RNFET ILIMIT VUVLO ILSW VRUN CONDITIONS ● (Note 3) E, I Grade (Note 3) MP Grade VIN = 2.7V to 5.5V (Note 3) Measured in Servo Loop, VITH = 0.36V Mesured in Servo Loop, VITH = 0.84V (Note 4) VFB = 0.75V, VITH = 1.2V VFB = 1V, VITH = 0V, VSYNC/MODE = 0V VRUN = 0V ROSC = 294k ● MIN 2.25 TYP 0.784 0.780 0.800 0.800 0.04 0.02 –0.02 ±7.5 120 ● ● ● 0.88 0.3 0.3 ISW = 300mA ISW = –300mA 6 1.75 VRUN = 0V, VIN = 5.5V Note 1: Stresses beyond those listed under Absolute Maximum Ratings may cause permanent damage to the device. Exposure to any Absolute Maximum Rating condition for extended periods may affect device reliability and lifetime. Note 2: The LTC3414E is guaranteed to meet performance specifications from 0°C to 85°C. Specifications over the –40°C to 85°C operating temperature range are assured by design, characterization and correlation with statistical process controls. The LTC3414I is guaranteed over the full –40°C to 85°C operating temperature range. The LTC3414MP is guaranteed over the full –55°C to 125°C operating tempaerature range. Note 3: The LTC3414 is tested in a feedback loop that adjusts VFB to 0.5 250 64 0.02 1.00 67 50 8 2.00 0.1 0.65 MAX 5.5 0.2 0.816 0.816 0.2 0.2 –0.2 ±9 200 UNITS V μA V V %V % % % Ω 330 100 1 1.12 4 4 100 100 μA μA μA MHz MHz MHz mΩ mΩ A V μA V 2.25 1.0 0.8 achieve a specified error amplifier output voltage (ITH). Note 4: Dynamic supply current is higher due to the internal gate charge being delivered at the switching frequency. Note 5: TJ is calculated from the ambient temperature TA and power dissipation PD as follows: TJ =TA + (PD)(38°C/W) Note 6: This IC includes overtemperature protection that is intended to protect the device during momentary overload conditions. Junction temperature will exceed 125°C when overtemperature protection is active. Continuous operation above the specified maximum operating junction temperature may impair device reliabability. 3414fb 2 LTC3414 U W TYPICAL PERFOR A CE CHARACTERISTICS Switch On-Resistance vs Temperature, VIN = 3.3V Switch On-Resistance vs Input Voltage VREF vs Temperature, VIN = 3.3V 120 90 0.800 TA = 25°C 80 0.797 ON-RESISTANCE (mΩ) 0.798 100 PFET 70 ON-RESISTANCE (mΩ) VREF (V) 0.799 60 NFET 50 40 30 80 PFET NFET 60 40 20 0.796 20 10 0.795 –40 –20 0 0 2.25 2.75 3.25 3.75 4.25 4.75 5.25 INPUT VOLTAGE (V) 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 TEMPERATURE (°C) Switch Leakage vs Input Voltage 7000 TA = 25°C PFET 12 10 8 6 5000 4000 3000 2000 NFET 1000 980 960 940 4 920 1000 2 5.25 25 125 225 325 425 525 625 725 825 925 ROSC (k) 3414 G04 350 1090 VIN = 3.3V ROSC = 294k Minimum Peak Inductor Current vs Burst Clamp Voltage 5.0 TA = 25°C 300 QUIESCENT CURRENT (μA) 1030 1010 990 970 950 ACTIVE 250 200 150 100 SLEEP 50 930 910 –40 –20 0 20 40 60 80 TEMPERATURE (°C) 100 120 3414 G07 0 2.25 2.75 3.25 3.75 4.25 4.75 INPUT VOLTAGE (V) 5.25 3414 G06 DC Supply Current vs Input Voltage 1050 2.75 3.25 3.75 4.25 4.75 INPUT VOLTAGE (V) 3414 G05 Frequency vs Temperature 1070 900 2.25 0 2.75 3.25 3.75 4.25 4.75 INPUT VOLTAGE (V) MINIMUM PEAK INDUCTOR CURRENT (A) 0 2.25 FREQUENCY (kHz) ROSC = 294k TA = 25°C 1020 FREQUENCY (kHz) 16 1040 VIN = 3.3V TA = 25°C 6000 14 Frequency vs Input Voltage Frequency vs ROSC FREQUENCY (kHz) SWITCH LEAKAGE CURRENT (nA) 18 3414 G03 3414 G02 3414 G01 20 0 –40 –25 –10 5 20 35 50 65 80 95 110 125 TEMPERATURE (°C) 5.75 5.25 3414 G08 VIN = 3.3V TA = 25°C 4.5 4.0 3.5 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 0 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 BURST CLAMP VOLTAGE (V) 0.8 3414 G09 3414fb 3 LTC3414 U W TYPICAL PERFOR A CE CHARACTERISTICS Efficiency vs Load Current, Forced Continuous 100 TA = 25°C 95 90 VIN = 3.3V 90 80 75 70 100 90 VIN = 3.3V 70 VIN = 5V 60 50 40 85 75 70 65 60 20 60 55 10 55 0 0.001 10 0.01 0.1 1 LOAD CURRENT (A) 3414 G10 Efficiency vs Input Voltage IOUT = 1A 94 VIN = 3.3V VOUT = 2.5V 50 0.001 10 0.01 0.1 1 LOAD CURRENT (A) 3414 G11 100 VOUT = 2.5V TA = 25°C Load Regulation 0 VIN = 3.3V VOUT = 2.5V TA = 25°C L = 1μH 95 10 3414 G12 Efficiency vs Frequency 98 96 FORCED CONTINUOUS 80 30 0.01 0.1 1 LOAD CURRENT (A) TA = 25°C Burst Mode OPERATION 95 65 50 0.001 VIN = 3.3V VOUT = 2.5V TA = 25°C –0.05 L = 0.47μH 90 88 IOUT = 4A 86 84 82 90 ΔVOUT/VOUT (%) EFFICIENCY (%) 92 EFFICIENCY (%) Efficiency vs Load Current VOUT = 2.5V TA = 25°C 80 VIN = 5V 85 EFFICIENCY (%) EFFICIENCY (%) 100 EFFICIENCY (%) Efficiency vs Load Current, Burst Mode Operation L = 0.2μH 85 80 –0.10 –0.15 –0.20 75 –0.25 70 300 800 1300 1800 2300 2800 3300 3800 FREQUENCY (kHz) –0.30 80 78 2.5 3.0 4.0 4.5 3.5 INPUT VOLTAGE (V) 5.0 5.5 3414 G13 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 LOAD CURRENT (A) 3.5 4.0 3414 G15 Load Step Transient Forced Continuous OUTPUT VOLTAGE 20mV/DIV OUTPUT VOLTAGE 100mV/DIV INDUCTOR CURRENT 500mA/DIV INDUCTOR CURRENT 2A/DIV VIN = 3.3V, VOUT = 2.5V LOAD = 250mA 0.5 3414 G14 Burst Mode Operation 10μs/DIV 0 3414 G16 20μs/DIV 3414 G17 VIN = 3.3V, VOUT = 2.5V LOAD STEP = 0A TO 4A 3414fb 4 LTC3414 U W TYPICAL PERFOR A CE CHARACTERISTICS Load Step Transient Burst Mode Operation OUTPUT VOLTAGE 100mV/DIV Start-Up Transient VRUN OUTPUT VOLTAGE INDUCTOR CURRENT 2A/DIV INDUCTOR CURRENT 2A/DIV 20μs/DIV 3414 G18 VIN = 3.3V, VOUT = 2.5V LOAD STEP = 250mA TO 4A 1ms/DIV VIN = 3.3V, VOUT = 2.5V LOAD = 4A 3414 G19 U U U PI FU CTIO S PGND (Pins 1, 10, 11, 20): Power Ground. Connect this pin closely to the (–) terminal of CIN and COUT. RT (Pin 2): Oscillator Resistor Input. Connecting a resistor to ground from this pin sets the switching frequency. SW (Pins 8, 9, 12, 13): Switch Node Connection to Inductor. This pin connects to the drains of the internal main and synchronous power MOSFET switches. NC (Pin 15): Open. No internal connection. SYNC/MODE (Pin 3): Mode Select and External Clock Synchronization Input. To select Forced Continuous, tie to SVIN. Connecting this pin to a voltage between 0V and 1V selects Burst Mode operation with the burst clamp set to the pin voltage. SVIN (Pin 16): Signal Input Supply. Decouple this pin to SGND with a capacitor. RUN/SS (Pin 4): Run Control and Soft-Start Input. Forcing this pin below 0.5V shuts down the LTC3414. In shutdown all functions are disabled. Less than 1μA of supply current is consumed. A capacitor to ground from this pin sets the ramp time to full output current. ITH (Pin 18): Error Amplifier Compensation Point. The current comparator threshold increases with this control voltage. Nominal voltage range for this pin is from 0.2V to 1.4V with 0.4V corresponding to the zero-sense voltage (zero current). SGND (Pin 5):Signal Ground. All small signal components and compensation components should connect to this ground, which in turn connects to PGND at one point. VFB (Pin 19): Feedback Pin. Receives the feedback voltage from a resistive divider connected across the output. NC (Pin 6): Open. No internal connection. Exposed Pad (Pin 21): Should be connected to SGND and soldered to the PCB. PGOOD (Pin 17): Power Good Output. Open drain logic output that is pulled to ground when the output voltage is not within ±7.5% of regulation point. PVIN (Pins 7, 14): Power Input Supply. Decouple this pin to PGND with a capacitor. 3414fb 5 LTC3414 W BLOCK DIAGRA 0.8V SVIN SGND ITH EXPOSED PAD PVIN PVIN 16 5 18 21 7 14 PMOS CURRENT COMPARATOR SLOPE COMPENSATION RECOVERY VOLTAGE REFERENCE + BCLAMP + – VFB 19 – 0.74V + ERROR AMPLIFIER SYNC/MODE – + V SLOPE COMPENSATION BURST COMPARATOR + OSCILLATOR – 4 LOGIC RUN SW 9 SW 12 SW – RUN/SS NMOS CURRENT COMPARATOR 8 13 SW + + 0.86V CURRENT REVERSAL COMPARTOR – PGOOD 17 1 PGND + 10 PGND – 11 PGND 2 3 20 RT SYNC/MODE PGND 3414 BD U OPERATIO Main Control Loop The LTC3414 is a monolithic, constant-frequency, current-mode step-down DC/DC converter. During normal operation, the internal top power switch (P-channel MOSFET) is turned on at the beginning of each clock cycle. Current in the inductor increases until the current comparator trips and turns off the top power MOSFET. The peak inductor current at which the current comparator shuts off the top power switch is controlled by the voltage on the ITH pin. The error amplifier adjusts the voltage on the ITH pin by comparing the feedback signal from a resistor divider on the VFB pin with an internal 0.8V reference. When the load current increases, it causes a reduction in the feedback voltage relative to the reference. The error amplifier raises the ITH voltage until the average inductor current matches the new load current. When the top power MOSFET shuts off, the synchronous power switch (N-channel MOSFET) turns on until either the bottom current limit is reached or the beginning of the next clock cycle. The bottom current limit is set at –5A for forced continuous mode and 0A for Burst Mode operation. The operating frequency is externally set by an external resistor connected between the RT pin and ground. The practical switching frequency can range from 300kHz to 4MHz. Overvoltage and undervoltage comparators will pull the PGOOD output low if the output voltage comes out of regulation by ± 7.5%. In an overvoltage condition, the top power MOSFET is turned off and the bottom power MOSFET is switched on until either the overvoltage condition clears or the bottom MOSFET’s current limit is reached. Forced Continuous Mode Connecting the SYNC/MODE pin to SVIN will disable Burst Mode operation and force continuous current operation. At light loads, forced continuous mode operation is less efficient than Burst Mode operation, but may be desirable in some applications where it is necessary to keep switch3414fb 6 LTC3414 U OPERATIO ing harmonics out of a signal band. The output voltage ripple is minimized in this mode. During synchronization, the burst clamp is set to 0V, and each switching cycle begins at the falling edge of the clock signal. Burst Mode Operation Connecting the SYNC/MODE pin to a voltage in the range of 0V to 1V enables Burst Mode operation. In Burst Mode operation, the internal power MOSFETs operate intermittently at light loads. This increases efficiency by minimizing switching losses. During Burst Mode operation, the minimum peak inductor current is externally set by the voltage on the SYNC/MODE pin and the voltage on the ITH pin is monitored by the burst comparator to determine when sleep mode is enabled and disabled. When the average inductor current is greater than the load current, the voltage on the ITH pin drops. As the ITH voltage falls below 150mV, the burst comparator trips and enables sleep mode. During sleep mode, the top power MOSFET is held off and the ITH pin is disconnected from the output of the error amplifier. The majority of the internal circuitry is also turned off to reduce the quiescent current to 64μA while the load current is solely supplied by the output capacitor. When the output voltage drops, the ITH pin is reconnected to the output of the error amplifier and the top power MOSFET along with all the internal circuitry is switched back on. This process repeats at a rate that is dependent on the load demand. Pulse Skipping operation is implemented by connecting the SYNC/MODE pin to ground. This forces the burst clamp level to be at 0V. As the load current decreases, the peak inductor current will be determined by the voltage on the ITH pin until the ITH voltage drops below 400mV. At this point, the peak inductor current is determined by the minimum on-time of the current comparator. If the load demand is less than the average of the minimum on-time inductor current, switching cycles will be skipped to keep the output voltage in regulation. Frequency Synchronization The internal oscillator of the LTC3414 can be synchronized to an external clock connected to the SYNC/MODE pin. The frequency of the external clock can be in the range of 300kHz to 4MHz. For this application, the oscillator timing resistor should be chosen to correspond to a frequency that is 25% lower than the synchronization frequency. Dropout Operation When the input supply voltage decreases toward the output voltage, the duty cycle increases toward the maximum on-time. Further reduction of the supply voltage forces the main switch to remain on for more than one cycle eventually reaching 100% duty cycle. The output voltage will then be determined by the input voltage minus the voltage drop across the internal P-channel MOSFET and the inductor. Low Supply Operation The LTC3414 is designed to operate down to an input supply voltage of 2.25V. One important consideration at low input supply voltages is that the RDS(ON) of the P-channel and N-channel power switches increases. The user should calculate the power dissipation when the LTC3414 is used at 100% duty cycle with low input voltages to ensure that thermal limits are not exceeded. Slope Compensation and Inductor Peak Current Slope compensation provides stability in constant frequency architectures by preventing subharmonic oscillations at duty cycles greater than 50%. It is accomplished internally by adding a compensating ramp to the inductor current signal at duty cycles in excess of 40%. Normally, the maximum inductor peak current is reduced when slope compensation is added. In the LTC3414, however, slope compensation recovery is implemented to keep the maximum inductor peak current constant throughout the range of duty cycles. This keeps the maximum output current relatively constant regardless of duty cycle. Short-Circuit Protection When the output is shorted to ground, the inductor current decays very slowly during a single switching cycle. To prevent current runaway from occurring, a secondary current limit is imposed on the inductor current. If the inductor valley current increases larger than 7.8A, the top power MOSFET will be held off and switching cycles will be skipped until the inductor current is reduced. 3414fb 7 LTC3414 U W U U APPLICATIO S I FOR ATIO The basic LTC3414 application circuit is shown in Figure 1. External component selection is determined by the maximum load current and begins with the selection of the operating frequency and inductor value followed by CIN and COUT. Operating Frequency Selection of the operating frequency is a tradeoff between efficiency and component size. High frequency operation allows the use of smaller inductor and capacitor values. Operation at lower frequencies improves efficiency by reducing internal gate charge losses but requires larger inductance values and/or capacitance to maintain low output ripple voltage. The operating frequency of the LTC3414 is determined by an external resistor that is connected between pin RT and ground. The value of the resistor sets the ramp current that is used to charge and discharge an internal timing capacitor within the oscillator and can be calculated by using the following equation: ROSC = ( ) 3.08 • 1011 Ω – 10kΩ f Although frequencies as high as 4MHz are possible, the minimum on-time of the LTC3414 imposes a minimum limit on the operating duty cycle. The minimum on-time is typically 110ns; therefore, the minimum duty cycle is equal to 100 • 110ns • f(Hz). Inductor Selection For a given input and output voltage, the inductor value and operating frequency determine the ripple current. The ripple current ΔIL increases with higher VIN or VOUT and decreases with higher inductance. ⎛V ⎞⎛ V ⎞ ΔIL = ⎜ OUT ⎟ ⎜ 1– OUT ⎟ VIN ⎠ ⎝ f•L ⎠ ⎝ Having a lower ripple current reduces the core losses in the inductor, the ESR losses in the output capacitors, and the output voltage ripple. Highest efficiency operation is achieved at low frequency with small ripple current. This, however, requires a large inductor. A reasonable starting point for selecting the ripple current is ΔIL = 0.4(IMAX). The largest ripple current occurs at the highest VIN. To guarantee that the ripple current stays below a specified maximum, the inductor value should be chosen according to the following equation: ⎛ V ⎞⎛ ⎞ V L = ⎜ OUT ⎟ ⎜ 1 – OUT ⎟ ⎝ fΔIL(MAX) ⎠ ⎝ VIN(MAX) ⎠ The inductor value will also have an effect on Burst Mode operation. The transition to low current operation begins when the peak inductor current falls below a level set by the burst clamp. Lower inductor values result in higher ripple current which causes this to occur at lower load currents. This causes a dip in efficiency in the upper range of low current operation. In Burst Mode operation, lower inductance values will cause the burst frequency to increase. Inductor Core Selection Once the value for L is known, the type of inductor must be selected. Actual core loss is independent of core size for a fixed inductor value, but it is very dependent on the inductance selected. As the inductance increases, core losses decrease. Unfortunately, increased inductance requires more turns of wire and therefore copper losses will increase. Ferrite designs have very low core losses and are preferred at high switching frequencies, so design goals can concentrate on copper loss and preventing saturation. Ferrite core material saturates “hard,” which means that inductance collapses abruptly when the peak design current is exceeded. This results in an abrupt increase in inductor ripple current and consequent output voltage ripple. Do not allow the core to saturate! Different core materials and shapes will change the size/ current and price/current relationship of an inductor. Toroid or shielded pot cores in ferrite or permalloy materials are small and don’t radiate much energy, but generally cost more than powdered iron core inductors with similar characteristics. The choice of which style inductor to use mainly depends on the price verus size requirements and any radiated field/EMI requirements. New designs for surface mount inductors are available from Coiltronics, Coilcraft, Toko, and Sumida. 3414fb 8 LTC3414 U W U U APPLICATIO S I FOR ATIO CIN and COUT Selection The input capacitance, CIN, is needed to filter the trapezoidal wave current at the source of the top MOSFET. To prevent large voltage transients from occurring, a low ESR input capacitor sized for the maximum RMS current should be used. The maximum RMS current is given by: IRMS V = IOUT (MAX) OUT VIN VIN –1 VOUT This formula has a maximum at VIN = 2VOUT, where IRMS = IOUT/2. This simple worst-case condition is commonly used for design because even significant deviations do not offer much relief. Note that ripple current ratings from capacitor manufacturers are often based on only 2000 hours of life which makes it advisable to further derate the capacitor, or choose a capacitor rated at a higher temperature than required. Several capacitors may also be paralleled to meet size or height requirements in the design. For low input voltage applications, sufficient bulk input capacitance is needed to minimize transient effects during output load changes. The selection of COUT is determined by the effective series resistance (ESR) that is required to minimize voltage ripple and load step transients as well as the amount of bulk capacitance that is necessary to ensure that the control loop is stable. Loop stability can be checked by viewing the load transient response as described in a later section. The output ripple, ΔVOUT, is determined by: ΔVOUT ⎛ 1 ⎞ ≤ ΔIL ⎜ESR + 8fC OUT ⎟⎠ ⎝ The output ripple is highest at maximum input voltage since ΔIL increases with input voltage. Multiple capacitors placed in parallel may be needed to meet the ESR and RMS current handling requirements. Dry tantalum, special polymer, aluminum electrolytic, and ceramic capacitors are all available in surface mount packages. Special polymer capacitors offer very low ESR but have lower capacitance density than other types. Tantalum capacitors have the highest capacitance density but it is important to only use types that have been surge tested for use in switching power supplies. Aluminum electrolytic capacitors have significantly higher ESR, but can be used in cost-sensitive applications provided that consideration is given to ripple current ratings and long term reliability. Ceramic capacitors have excellent low ESR characteristics but can have a high voltage coefficient and audible piezoelectric effects. The high Q of ceramic capacitors with trace inductance can also lead to significant ringing. Using Ceramic Input and Output Capacitors Higher values, lower cost ceramic capacitors are now becoming available in smaller case sizes. Their high ripple current, high voltage rating and low ESR make them ideal for switching regulator applications. However, care must be taken when these capacitors are used at the input and output. When a ceramic capacitor is used at the input and the power is supplied by a wall adapter through long wires, a load step at the output can induce ringing at the input, VIN. At best, this ringing can couple to the output and be mistaken as loop instability. At worst, a sudden inrush of current through the long wires can potentially cause a voltage spike at VIN large enough to damage the part. When choosing the input and output ceramic capacitors, choose the X5R or X7R dielectric formulations. These dielectrics have the best temperature and voltage characteristics of all the ceramics for a given value and size. Output Voltage Programming The output voltage is set by an external resistive divider according to the following equation: ⎛ R2⎞ VOUT = 0.8V ⎜ 1 + ⎟ ⎝ R1⎠ The resistive divider allows pin VFB to sense a fraction of the output voltage as shown in Figure 2. VOUT R2 VFB LTC3414 R1 SGND 3414 F02 Figure 2. Setting the Output Voltage 3414fb 9 LTC3414 U W U U APPLICATIO S I FOR ATIO Burst Clamp Programming Frequency Synchronization If the voltage on the SYNC/MODE pin is less than VIN by 1V, Burst Mode operation is enabled. During Burst Mode Operation, the voltage on the SYNC/MODE pin determines the burst clamp level, which sets the minimum peak inductor current, IBURST, for each switching cycle according to the following equation: The LTC3414’s internal oscillator can be synchronized to an external clock signal. During synchronization, the top MOSFET turn-on is locked to the falling edge of the external frequency source. The synchronization frequency range is 300kHz to 4MHz. Synchronization only occurs if the external frequency is greater than the frequency set by the external resistor. Because slope compensation is generated by the oscillator’s RC circuit, the external frequency should be set 25% higher than the frequency set by the external resistor to ensure that adequate slope compensation is present. ⎛ 6.9A ⎞ IBURST = ⎜ ⎟ VBURST – 0.383V ⎝ 0.6V ⎠ ( ) VBURST is the voltage on the SYNC/MODE pin. IBURST can only be programmed in the range of 0A to 7A. For values of VBURST greater than 1V, IBURST is set at 7A. For values of VBURST less than 0.4V, IBURST is set at 0A. As the output load current drops, the peak inductor currents decrease to keep the output voltage in regulation. When the output load current demands a peak inductor current that is less than IBURST, the burst clamp will force the peak inductor current to remain equal to IBURST regardless of further reductions in the load current. Since the average inductor current is greater than the output load current, the voltage on the ITH pin will decrease. When the ITH voltage drops to 150mV, sleep mode is enabled in which both power MOSFETs are shut off along with most of the circuitry to minimize power consumption. All circuitry is turned back on and the power MOSFETs begin switching again when the output voltage drops out of regulation. The value for IBURST is determined by the desired amount of output voltage ripple. As the value of IBURST increases, the sleep period between pulses and the output voltage ripple increase. The burst clamp voltage, VBURST, can be set by a resistor divider from the VFB pin to the SGND pin as shown in Figure 1. Pulse skipping, which is a compromise between low output voltage ripple and efficiency, can be implemented by connecting pin SYNC/MODEto ground. This sets IBURST to 0A. In this condition, the peak inductor current is limited by the minimum on-time of the current comparator. The lowest output voltage ripple is achieved while still operating discontinuously. During very light output loads, pulse skipping allows only a few switching cycles to be skipped while maintaining the output voltage in regulation. Soft-Start The RUN/SS pin provides a means to shut down the LTC3414 as well as a timer for soft-start. Pulling the RUN/SS pin below 0.5V places the LTC3414 in a low quiescent current shutdown state (IQ < 1μA). The LTC3414 contains an internal soft-start clamp that gradually raises the clamp on ITH after the RUN/SS pin is pulled above 2V. The full current range becomes available on ITH after 1024 switching cycles. If a longer soft-start period is desired, the clamp on ITH can be set externally with a resistor and capacitor on the RUN/SS pin as shown in Figure 1. The soft-start duration can be calculated by using the following formula: ⎛ VIN ⎞ tSS = RSS C SS ln ⎜ ⎟ (SECONDS) ⎝ VIN – 1.8V ⎠ Efficiency Considerations The efficiency of a switching regulator is equal to the output power divided by the input power times 100%. It is often useful to analyze individual losses to determine what is limiting the efficiency and which change would produce the most improvement. Efficiency can be expressed as: Efficiency = 100% – (L1 + L2 + L3 + ...) where L1, L2, etc. are the individual losses as a percentage of input power. Although all dissipative elements in the circuit produce losses, two main sources usually account for most of the losses: VIN quiescent current and I2R losses. 3414fb 10 LTC3414 U W U U APPLICATIO S I FOR ATIO The VIN quiescent current loss dominates the efficiency loss at very low load currents whereas the I2R loss dominates the efficiency loss at medium to high load currents. In a typical efficiency plot, the efficiency curve at very low load currents can be misleading since the actual power lost is of no consequence. 1. The VIN quiescent current is due to two components: the DC bias current as given in the electrical characteristics and the internal main switch and synchronous switch gate charge currents. The gate charge current results from switching the gate capacitance of the internal power MOSFET switches. Each time the gate is switched from high to low to high again, a packet of charge dQ moves from VIN to ground. The resulting dQ/dt is the current out of VIN that is typically larger than the DC bias current. In continuous mode, IGATECHG = f(QT + QB) where QT and QB are the gate charges of the internal top and bottom switches. Both the DC bias and gate charge losses are proportional to VIN; thus, their effects will be more pronounced at higher supply voltages. I 2R 2. losses are calculated from the resistances of the internal switches, RSW, and external inductor RL. In continuous mode the average output current flowing through inductor L is “chopped” between the main switch and the synchronous switch. Thus, the series resistance looking into the SW pin is a function of both top and bottom MOSFET RDS(ON) and the duty cycle (DC) as follows: RSW = (RDS(ON)TOP)(DC) + (RDS(ON)BOT)(1 – DC) The RDS(ON) for both the top and bottom MOSFETs can be obtained from the Typical Performance Characteristics curves. To obtain I2R losses, simply add RSW to RL and multiply the result by the square of the average output current. Other losses including CIN and COUT ESR dissipative losses and inductor core losses generally account for less than 2% of the total loss. Thermal Considerations In most applications, the LTC3414 does not dissipate much heat due to its high efficiency. However, in applications where the LTC3414 is running at high ambient temperature with low supply voltage and high duty cycles, such as in dropout, the heat dissipated may exceed the maximum junction temperature of the part. If the junction temperature reaches approximately 150°C, both power switches will be turned off and the SW node will become high impedance. To avoid the LTC3414 from exceeding the maximum junction temperature, the user will need to do some thermal analysis. The goal of the thermal analysis is to determine whether the power dissipated exceeds the maximum junction temperature of the part. The temperature rise is given by: tr = (PD)(θJA) where PD is the power dissipated by the regulator and θJA is the thermal resistance from the junction of the die to the ambient temperature. For the 20-lead exposed TSSOP package, the θJA is 38°C/W. The junction temperature, TJ, is given by: TJ = TA + tr where TA is the ambient temperature. Note that at higher supply voltages, the junction temperature is lower due to reduced switch resistance (RDS(ON)). To maximize the thermal performance of the LTC3414, the exposed pad should be soldered to a ground plane. Checking Transient Response The regulator loop response can be checked by looking at the load transient response. Switching regulators take several cycles to respond to a step in load current. When a load step occurs, VOUT immediately shifts by an amount equal to ΔILOAD(ESR), where ESR is the effective series resistance of COUT. ΔILOAD also begins to charge or discharge COUT generating a feedback error signal used by the regulator to return VOUT to its steady-state value. During this recovery time, VOUT can be monitored for overshoot or ringing that would indicate a stability problem. The ITH pin external components and output capacitor shown in Figure 1 will provide adequate compensation for most applications. 3414fb 11 LTC3414 U W U U APPLICATIO S I FOR ATIO Design Example As a design example, consider using the LTC3414 in an application with the following specifications: VIN = 2.7V to 4.2V, VOUT = 2.5V, IOUT(MAX) = 4A, IOUT(MIN) = 100mA, f = 1MHz. Because efficiency is important at both high and low load current, Burst Mode operation will be utilized. First, calculate the timing resistor: ROSC = 3.08 • 1011 – 10k = 298k 1• 106 Use a standard value of 294k. Next, calculate the inductor value for about 40% ripple current at maximum VIN: ⎛ ⎞ ⎛ 2.5V ⎞ 2.5V L=⎜ ⎟ = 0.63μH ⎟ ⎜1– ⎝ (1MHz)(1.6A)⎠ ⎝ 4.2V ⎠ Using a 0.47μH inductor results in a maximum ripple current of: ⎛ ⎞ ⎛ 2.5V ⎞ 2.5V ΔIL = ⎜ ⎟ = 2.15A ⎟ ⎜⎝ 1 – 4.2V ⎠ ⎝ (1MHz)(0.47μH)⎠ COUT will be selected based on the ESR that is required to satisfy the output voltage ripple requirement and the bulk capacitance needed for loop stability. For this design, a 22μF ceramic capacitor and a 470μF tantalum capacitor will be used. CIN should be sized for a maximum current rating of: ⎛ 2.5V ⎞ 4.2V IRMS = (4A)⎜ – 1 = 1.96ARMS ⎟ ⎝ 4.2V ⎠ 2.5V Decoupling the PVIN and SVIN pins with two 22μF capacitors and a 330μF tantalum capacitor is adequate for most applications. The burst clamp and output voltage can now be programmed by choosing the values of R1, R2, and R3. The voltage on pin MODE will be set to 0.49V by the resistor divider consisting of R2 and R3. A burst clamp voltage of 0.49V will set the minimum inductor current, IBURST, as follows: ⎛ 6.9A ⎞ IBURST = VBURST – 0.383V ⎜ ⎟ = 1.23A ⎝ 0.6V ⎠ ( ) If we set the sum of R2 and R3 to 200k, then the following equations can be solved: R2 + R3 = 200k R2 0.8V 1+ = R3 0.49V The two equations shown above result in the following values for R2 and R3: R2 = 78.7k , R3 = 124k. The value of R1 can now be determined by solving the following equation. R1 2.5V = 202.7k 0.8V R1 = 432k 1+ A value of 432k will be selected for R1. Figure 4 shows the complete schematic for this design example. PC Board Layout Checklist When laying out the printed circuit board, the following checklist should be used to ensure proper operation of the LTC3414. Check the following in your layout: 1. A ground plane is recommended. If a ground plane layer is not used, the signal and power grounds should be segregated with all small signal components returning to the SGND pin at one point which is then connected to the PGND pin close to the LTC3414. 2. Connect the (+) terminal of the input capacitor(s), CIN, as close as possible to the PVIN pin. This capacitor provides the AC current into the internal power MOSFETs. 3. Keep the switching node, SW, away from all sensitive small signal nodes. 4. Flood all unused areas on all layers with copper. Flooding with copper will reduce the temperature rise of power components. You can connect the copper areas to any DC net (PVIN, SVIN, VOUT, PGND, SGND, or any other DC rail in your system). 5. Connect the VFB pin directly to the feedback resistors. The resistor divider must be connected between VOUT and SGND. 3414fb 12 LTC3414 U W U U APPLICATIO S I FOR ATIO Bottom Top Figure 3. LTC3414 Layout Diagram 1 ROSC 294k 2 3 RSS 2.2M CSS 1000pF X7R 4 5 6 7 8 + CIN2*** 330μF 9 10 PGND PGND VFB RT ITH SYNC/MODE RUN/SS PGOOD SVIN SGND C1 10pF X7R 20 19 18 R3 124k CITH 470pF X7R R2 78.7k RITH 20k R1 432k 17 16 PGOOD RPG 100k LTC3414 NC PVIN NC PVIN SW SW SW SW PGND PGND VIN 2.7V TO 5V CIN1 22μF X5R 2X 15 14 13 12 11 L1* 0.47μH COUT2 22μF X5R VOUT 2.5V 4A + COUT1** 470μF 3413 F04 * VISHAY DALE IHLP-2525CZ-01 ** SANYO POSCAP 4TPD470M *** SANYO POSCAP 6TPB330M Figure 4. 2.5V, 4A Regulator at 1MHz, Burst Mode Operation 3414fb 13 LTC3414 U TYPICAL APPLICATIO S 3.3V, 4A Step-Down Regulator at 1MHz, Forced Continuous Mode 1 ROSC 294k 2 3 RSS 2.2M 4 CSS 1000pF X7R 5 6 7 8 + CIN2*** 150μF 9 10 PGND PGND VFB RT ITH SYNC/MODE PGOOD RUN/SS SVIN SGND 20 19 18 CC 100pF X7R CITH 470pF X7R RITH 12.1k R1 634k 17 NC PVIN PVIN SW SW SW SW PGND PGND C1 22pF X7R PGOOD RPG 100k 16 CIN1 22μF X5R 2x LTC3414 NC R2 200k 15 VIN 5V 14 L1* 0.68μH 13 VOUT 3.3V 4A 12 COUT** 100μF 2x 11 * MURATA LQH66SNR68M03L ** TDK C4532X5ROJ107M *** SANYO POSCAP 6TPE150M 3413 F05 2.5V, 4A Step-Down Regulator at 1.25MHz, Synchronized to an External Clock 1 ROSC 294k 2 PGND PGND VFB RT 1.25MHz 3 SYNC/MODE CLOCK RSS 2.2M CSS 1000pF X7R 4 5 6 7 8 + CIN2*** 220μF 9 10 * VISHAY DALE IHLP-2525CZ-01 ** TDK C4532X5ROJ107M *** SANYO POSCAP 4TPB220M RUN/SS ITH PGOOD SVIN SGND 20 19 18 CC 100pF X7R CITH 470pF X7R RITH 12.1k R1 422k 17 16 NC PVIN PVIN SW SW SW SW PGND PGND C1 22pF X7R PGOOD RPG 100k VIN 3.3V CIN1** 100μF 2x LTC3414 NC R2 200k 15 14 13 12 11 L1* 0.47μH VOUT 2.5V 4A COUT** 100μF 2x 3413 F06 3414fb 14 LTC3414 U PACKAGE DESCRIPTIO FE Package 20-Lead Plastic TSSOP (4.4mm) (Reference LTC DWG # 05-08-1663) Exposed Pad Variation CA 6.40 – 6.60* (.252 – .260) 4.95 (.195) 4.95 (.195) 20 1918 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 6.60 ±0.10 2.74 (.108) 4.50 ±0.10 6.40 2.74 (.252) (.108) BSC SEE NOTE 4 0.45 ±0.05 1.05 ±0.10 0.65 BSC 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 RECOMMENDED SOLDER PAD LAYOUT 4.30 – 4.50* (.169 – .177) 0.09 – 0.20 (.0035 – .0079) 0.25 REF 0.50 – 0.75 (.020 – .030) NOTE: 1. CONTROLLING DIMENSION: MILLIMETERS MILLIMETERS 2. DIMENSIONS ARE IN (INCHES) 3. DRAWING NOT TO SCALE 1.20 (.047) MAX 0° – 8° 0.65 (.0256) BSC 0.195 – 0.30 (.0077 – .0118) TYP 0.05 – 0.15 (.002 – .006) FE20 (CA) TSSOP 0204 4. RECOMMENDED MINIMUM PCB METAL SIZE FOR EXPOSED PAD ATTACHMENT *DIMENSIONS DO NOT INCLUDE MOLD FLASH. MOLD FLASH SHALL NOT EXCEED 0.150mm (.006") PER SIDE 3414fb Information furnished by Linear Technology Corporation is believed to be accurate and reliable. However, no responsibility is assumed for its use. Linear Technology Corporation makes no representation that the interconnection of its circuits as described herein will not infringe on existing patent rights. 15 LTC3414 U TYPICAL APPLICATIO 1.5V, 4A Step-Down Regulator at 1MHz, Burst Mode 1 ROSC 294k 2 3 RSS 2.2M 4 CSS 1000pF, X7R 5 6 7 8 + CIN2** 470μF 9 10 PGND PGND RT VFB SYNC/MODE RUN/SS ITH PGOOD SGND SVIN LTC3414 NC PVIN NC PVIN SW SW SW SW PGND PGND CC 100pF X7R 20 CITH 470pF X7R 19 18 R2 200k RITH 15k C1 39pF X7R R1 178k 17 16 PGOOD RPG 100k 15 14 13 12 11 * PULSE P1166.68IT ** SANYO POSCAP 4TPD470M L1* 0.44μH VIN 2.5V CIN1 22μF X5R 2x COUT2 22μF X5R VOUT 1.5V 4A + COUT1** 470μF 3413 TA01 RELATED PARTS PART NUMBER DESCRIPTION COMMENTS LT1616 500mA (IOUT), 1.4MHz, High Efficiency Step-Down DC/DC Converter 90% Efficiency, VIN: 3.6V to 25V, VOUT: 1.25V, IQ: 1.9mA, ISD: <1μA, ThinSOT Package LT1676 450mA (IOUT), 100kHz, High Efficiency Step-Down DC/DC Converter 90% Efficiency, VIN: 7.4V to 60V, VOUT: 1.24V, IQ: 3.2mA, ISD: 2.5μA, S8 Package LT1765 25V, 2.75A (IOUT), 1.25MHz, High Efficiency Step-Down DC/DC Converter 90% Efficiency, VIN: 3V to 25V, VOUT: 1.2V, IQ: 1mA, ISD: 15μA, S8, TSSOP16E Packages LTC1879 1.20A (IOUT), 550kHz, Synchronous Step-Down DC/DC Converter 95% Efficiency, VIN: 2.7V to 10V, VOUT: 0.8V, IQ: 15μA, ISD: <1μA, TSSOP16 Package LTC3405/LTC3405A 300mA (IOUT), 1.5MHz, Synchronous Step-Down DC/DC Converter 95% Efficiency, VIN: 2.75V to 6V, VOUT: 0.8V, IQ: 20μA, ISD: <1μA, ThinSOT Package LTC3406/LTC3406B 600mA (IOUT), 1.5MHz, Synchronous Step-Down DC/DC Converter 95% Efficiency, VIN: 2.5V to 5.5V, VOUT: 0.6V, IQ: 20μA, ISD: <1μA, ThinSOT Package LTC3407 Dual 600mA (IOUT), 1.5MHz, Synchronous Step-Down DC/DC Converter 95% Efficiency, VIN: 2.5V to 5.5V, VOUT: 0.6V, IQ: 40μA, ISD: <1μA, MS Package LTC3411 1.25A (IOUT), 4MHz, Synchronous Step-Down DC/DC Converter 95% Efficiency, VIN: 2.5V to 5.5V, VOUT: 0.8V, IQ: 60μA, ISD: <1μA, MS Package LTC3412 2.5A (IOUT), 4MHz, Synchronous Step-Down DC/DC Converter 95% Efficiency, VIN: 2.5V to 5.5V, VOUT: 0.8V IQ: 60μA, ISD: <1μA, TSSOP16E Package LTC3413 3A (IOUT Sink/source), 2MHz, Monolithic Synchronous Regulator for DDR/QDR Memory Termination 90% Efficiency, VIN: 2.25V to 5.5V, VOUT: VREF/2, IQ: 280μA, ISD: <1μA, TSSOP16E Package LTC3430 60V, 2.75A (IOUT), 200kHz, High Efficiency Step-Down DC/DC Converter 90% Efficiency, VIN: 5.5V to 60V, VOUT: 1.2V, IQ: 2.5mA, ISD: 25μA, TSSOP16E Package LTC3440/LTC3441 600mA/1A (IOUT), 2MHz/1MHz, Synchronous Buck-Boost DC/DC Converter 95% Efficiency, VIN: 2.5V to 5.5V, VOUT: 2.5V, IQ: 25μA/50μA, ISD: <1μA, MS Package 3414fb 16 Linear Technology Corporation LT 0607 REV B • PRINTED IN USA 1630 McCarthy Blvd., Milpitas, CA 95035-7417 (408) 432-1900 ● FAX: (408) 434-0507 ● www.linear.com © LINEAR TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION 2003