LINER LTC3561

LTC3561
1A, 4MHz, Synchronous
Step-Down DC/DC Converter
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FEATURES
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DESCRIPTIO
The LTC®3561 is a constant-frequency, synchronous,
step-down DC/DC converter. Intended for medium power
applications, it operates from a 2.63V to 5.5V input voltage
range and has a user configurable operating frequency up
to 4MHz, allowing the use of tiny, low cost capacitors and
inductors 2mm or less in height. The output voltage is
adjustable from 0.8V to 5V. Internal synchronous 0.11Ω
power switches with 1.4A peak current ratings provide
high efficiency. The LTC3561’s current mode architecture
and external compensation allow the transient response
to be optimized over a wide range of loads and output
capacitors.
Uses Tiny Capacitors and Inductor
High Frequency Operation: Up to 4MHz
High Switch Current: 1.4A
Low RDS(ON) Internal Switches: 0.110Ω
High Efficiency: Up to 95%
VIN: 2.63V to 5.5V
Stable with Ceramic Capacitors
Current Mode Operation for Excellent Line
and Load Transient Response
Short-Circuit Protected
Low Dropout Operation: 100% Duty Cycle
Low Shutdown Current: IQ ≤ 1µA
Low Quiescent Current: 240µA
Output Voltages from 0.8V to 5V
Low Noise Pulse-Skipping Operation
Small 8-Pin DFN Package
To further maximize battery life, the P-channel MOSFET is
turned on continuously in dropout (100% duty cycle). The
no-load quiescent current is only 240µA. In shutdown, the
device draws <1µA.
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APPLICATIO S
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Wireless LAN Power
Notebook Computers
Digital Cameras
Cellular Phones
Board Mounted Power Supplies
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, LT, LTC and LTM are registered trademarks of Linear Technology Corporation.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Protected by U.S. Patents,
including 5481178, 6127815, 6304066, 6498466, 6580258, 6611131.
TYPICAL APPLICATIO
Step-Down 2.5V/1A Regulator
Efficiency and Power Loss vs Load Current
VIN
2.63V TO 5.5V
1000
100
95
22µF
90
ITH
LTC3561
2.2µH
SW
887k
SHDN/RT
13k
1000pF
SGND
VFB
22µF
75
POWER LOSS
70
412k
60
55
NOTE: IN DROPOUT, THE OUTPUT TRACKS
THE INPUT VOLTAGE.
100
80
10
65
PGND
324k
VOUT
2.5V/1A
EFFICIENCY (%)
SVIN
85
3561 F01
50
10
POWER LOSS (mW)
PVIN
EFFICIENCY
VIN = 3.3V
VOUT = 2.5V
fO = 1MHz
100
LOAD CURRENT (mA)
1
1000
3561 TA01
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LTC3561
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ABSOLUTE
AXI U RATI GS
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PACKAGE/ORDER I FOR ATIO
(Note 1)
TOP VIEW
PVIN, SVIN Voltages .....................................– 0.3V to 6V
VFB, SHDN/RT Voltages ................ – 0.3V to (VIN + 0.3V)
ITH Voltage ................................................– 0.3V to 1.4V
SW Voltage ................................... – 0.3V to (VIN + 0.3V)
Operating Ambient Temperature Range
(Note 2) .................................................. – 40°C to 85°C
Junction Temperature (Notes 5, 8) ....................... 125°C
Storage Temperature Range ................. – 65°C to 125°C
SHDN/RT 1
8
ITH
SGND 2
7
VFB
6
SVIN
5
PVIN
9
SW 3
PGND 4
DD PACKAGE
8-LEAD (3mm × 3mm) PLASTIC DFN
TJMAX = 125°C, θJA = 43°C/W, θJC = 3°C/W
EXPOSED PAD (PIN 9) MUST BE SOLDERED TO GROUND
ORDER PART NUMBER
DD PART MARKING
LTC3561EDD
LCJJ
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/
Consult LTC Marketing for parts specified with wider operating temperature ranges.
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS
The ● denotes the specifications which apply over the full operating
temperature range, otherwise specifications are at TA = 25°C. VIN = 3.3V, RT = 324k unless otherwise specified. (Note 2)
SYMBOL
VIN
IFB
VFB
∆VLINEREG
∆VLOADREG
PARAMETER
Operating Voltage Range
Feedback Pin Input Current
Feedback Voltage
Reference Voltage Line Regulation
Output Voltage Load Regulation
gm(EA)
IS
Error Amplifier Transconductance
Input DC Supply Current (Note 4)
Active Mode
Shutdown
Shutdown Threshold High
Active Oscillator Resistor
Oscillator Frequency
VSHDN/RT
fOSC
ILIM
RDS(ON)
ISW(LKG)
VUVLO
Peak Switch Current Limit
Top Switch On-Resistance (Note 6)
Bottom Switch On-Resistance (Note 6)
Switch Leakage Current
Undervoltage Lockout Threshold
CONDITIONS
(Note 3)
(Note 3)
VIN = 2.7V to 5V
ITH = 0.36, (Note 3)
ITH = 0.84, (Note 3)
ITH Pin Load = ±5µA (Note 3)
●
MIN
2.625
TYP
0.784
0.8
0.04
0.02
– 0.02
800
●
●
VFB = 0.75V
VSHDN/RT = 3.3V
RT = 324k
(Note 7)
ITH = 1.3
VIN = 3.3V
VIN = 3.3V
VIN = 6V, VITH/RUN = 0V, VFB = 0V
VIN Ramping Down
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. No pin shall exceed 6V.
Note 2: The LTC3561E is guaranteed to meet specified performance from
0°C to 85°C. Specifications over the – 40°C to 85°C operating ambient
0.85
1.4
2.375
MAX
5.5
±0.1
0.816
0.2
0.2
– 0.2
240
350
0.1
1
VIN – 0.6 VIN – 0.4
324k
1M
1
1.15
4
1.7
0.11
0.15
0.11
0.15
0.01
1
2.5
2.625
UNITS
V
µA
V
%/V
%
%
µS
µA
µA
V
Ω
MHz
MHz
A
Ω
Ω
µA
V
temperature range are assured by design, characterization and correlation
with statistical process controls.
Note 3: The LTC3561 is tested in a feedback loop which servos VFB to the
midpoint for the error amplifier (VITH = 0.6V).
Note 4: Dynamic supply current is higher due to the internal gate charge
being delivered at the switching frequency.
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LTC3561
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Note 8: 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 reliability.
Note 5: TJ is calculated from the ambient TA and power dissipation PD
according to the following formula:
LTC3561EDD: TJ = TA + (PD • 43°C/W)
Note 6: Switch on-resistance is guaranteed by correlation to wafer level
measurements.
Note 7: 4MHz operation is guaranteed by design but not production tested
and is subject to duty cycle limitations (see Applications Information).
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TYPICAL PERFOR A CE CHARACTERISTICS
Efficiency vs VIN
Switching Waveforms
Load Step
100
IOUT = 0.4A
95
VOUT
10mV/
DIV
VOUT
100mV/
DIV
EFFICIENCY (%)
90
IL1
100mA/
DIV
IOUT = 1.0A
85
80
IL1
0.4A/
DIV
75
70
VIN = 3.3V
2µs/DIV
VOUT = 2.5V
ILOAD = 50mA
CIRCUIT OF FIGURE 6
65
3561 G02.eps
VIN = 3.3V
40µs/DIV
VOUT = 2.5V
ILOAD = 0.20A TO 1A
CIRCUIT OF FIGURE 6
VOUT = 2.5V
CIRCUIT OF FIGURE 6
60
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0 4.5
VIN (V)
5.0
5.5
6.0
3561 G06.eps
3561 G05
Load Regulation
Line Regulation
0.4
VIN = 3.3V
VOUT = 2.5V
0.3
10
VOUT = 1.8V
TA = 25°C
0.45
0
–0.1
–0.2
FREQUENCY VARIATION (%)
VOUT ERROR (%)
0.1
0.35
0.30
0.25
0.20
IOUT = 1.0A
0.15
IOUT = 400mA
6
4
2
0
–2
–4
–0.3
0.10
–0.4
0.05
–8
–0.5
0
–10
1
10
100
1000
LOAD CURRENT (mA)
10000
3561 G07
2
3
VOUT = 1.8V
IOUT = 1A
TA = 25°C
8
0.40
0.2
VOUT ERROR (%)
Frequency vs VIN
0.50
4
VIN (V)
5
6
3561 G08
–6
2
3
4
VIN (V)
5
6
3561 G09
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LTC3561
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TYPICAL PERFOR A CE CHARACTERISTICS
Frequency Variation
vs Temperature
Efficiency vs Frequency
100
10
EFFICIENCY (%)
0
–2
–4
TA = 25°C
115
95
RDS(ON) (mΩ)
REFERENCE VARIATION (%)
6
2
120
VIN = 3.3V
VOUT = 2.5V
IOUT = 500mA
TA = 25°C
8
4
RDS(ON) vs VIN
90
–6
110
SYNCHRONOUS SWITCH
105
MAIN SWITCH
100
95
–8
–10
–50
85
–25
0
25
50
75
TEMPERATURE (°C)
100
125
0
1
2
3
FREQUENCY (MHz)
3561 G10
4
3561 G11
90
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
VIN (V)
5
5.5
6
3561 G12
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PI FU CTIO S
SHDN/RT (Pin 1): Combination Shutdown and Timing
Resistor Pin. The oscillator frequency is programmed by
connecting a resistor from this pin to ground. Forcing this
pin to SVIN causes the device to be shut down. In
shutdown all functions are disabled.
PVIN (Pin 5): Main Supply Pin. Must be closely decoupled
to PGND.
SGND (Pin 2): The Signal Ground Pin. All small signal
components and compensation components should be
connected to this ground (see Board Layout
Considerations).
VFB (Pin 7): Receives the feedback voltage from the
external resistive divider across the output. Nominal
voltage for this pin is 0.8V.
SW (Pin 3): The Switch Node Connection to the Inductor.
This pin swings from PVIN to PGND.
ITH (Pin 8): Error Amplifier Compensation Point. The
current comparator threshold increases with this control
voltage. Nominal voltage range for this pin is 0V to 1.5V.
PGND (Pin 4): Main Power Ground Pin. Connect to the
(–) terminal of COUT, and (–) terminal of CIN.
SVIN (Pin 6): The Signal Power Pin. All active circuitry is
powered from this pin. Must be closely decoupled to
SGND. SVIN must be greater than or equal to PVIN.
Exposed Pad (Pin 9): Thermal Connection to PCB. This
pin should be soldered to ground to achieve rated
thermal performance.
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LTC3561
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BLOCK DIAGRA
0.8V
SVIN
SGND
ITH
PVIN
6
2
8
5
PMOS CURRENT
COMPARATOR
VOLTAGE
REFERENCE
ITH
LIMIT
+
+
VFB 7
–
ERROR
AMPLIFIER
–
–
+
VB
SLOPE
COMPENSATION
OSCILLATOR
3 SW
+
LOGIC
NMOS
COMPARATOR
–
+
REVERSE
COMPARATOR
–
4 PGND
1
SHDN/RT
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OPERATIO
The LTC3561 uses a constant frequency, current mode
architecture. The operating frequency is determined by
the value of the RT resistor.
The output voltage is set by an external divider returned to
the VFB pin. An error amplifier compares the divided
output voltage with a reference voltage of 0.8V and adjusts
the peak inductor current accordingly.
Main Control Loop
During normal operation, the top power switch (P-channel
MOSFET) is turned on at the beginning of a clock cycle
when the VFB voltage is below the reference voltage. The
current into the inductor and the load increases until the
current limit is reached. The switch turns off and energy
stored in the inductor flows through the bottom switch (Nchannel MOSFET) into the load until the next clock cycle.
The peak inductor current is controlled by the voltage on
the ITH pin, which is the output of the error amplifier. This
amplifier compares the VFB pin to the 0.8V reference.
When the load current increases, the VFB voltage decreases slightly below the reference. This decrease causes
the error amplifier to increase the ITH voltage until the
average inductor current matches the new load current. At
low load currents, the inductor current becomes discontinuous, and pulses may be skipped to maintain regulation.
The main control loop is shut down by pulling the SHDN/RT
pin to SVIN. A digital soft-start is enabled after shutdown,
which will slowly ramp the peak inductor current up over
1024 clock cycles or until the output reaches regulation,
whichever is first. Soft-start can be lengthened by ramping
the voltage on the ITH pin (see Applications Information
section).
Dropout Operation
When the input supply voltage decreases toward the
output voltage, the duty cycle increases to 100% which is
the dropout condition. In dropout, the PMOS switch is
turned on continuously with the output voltage being
equal to the input voltage minus the voltage drops across
the internal P-channel MOSFET and the inductor.
Low Supply Operation
The LTC3561 incorporates an undervoltage lockout circuit
which shuts down the part when the input voltage drops
below about 2.5V to prevent unstable operation.
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LTC3561
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A general LTC3561 application circuit is shown in
Figure 4. External component selection is driven by the
load requirement, and begins with the selection of the
inductor L1. Once L1 is chosen, CIN and COUT can be
selected.
fO(MAX) ≈ 6.67 • (VOUT / VIN(MAX)) (MHz)
The minimum frequency is limited by leakage and noise
coupling due to the large resistance of RT.
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, fO, of the LTC3561 is determined
by an external resistor that is connected between the RT
pin 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:
RT = 9.78 • 1011( fO )
−1.08
(Ω )
or can be selected using Figure 1.
4.5
The maximum usable operating frequency is limited by the
minimum on-time and the duty cycle. This can be calculated as:
Inductor Selection
Although the inductor does not influence the operating
frequency, the inductor value has a direct effect on ripple
current. The inductor ripple current ∆IL decreases with
higher inductance and increases with higher VIN or VOUT:
∆IL =
Accepting larger values of ∆IL allows the use of low
inductances, but results in higher output voltage ripple,
greater core losses, and lower output current capability.
A reasonable starting point for setting ripple current is
∆IL = 0.4 × IOUT(MAX), where IOUT(MAX) is 1A. The largest
ripple current ∆IL occurs at the maximum input voltage. To
guarantee that the ripple current stays below a specified
maximum, the inductor value should be chosen according
to the following equation:
TA = 25°C
4.0
L=
3.5
FREQUENCY (MHz)
VOUT ⎛ VOUT ⎞
• 1−
f O• L ⎜⎝
V IN ⎟⎠
3.0
VOUT
f O• ∆IL
⎛
⎞
V
• ⎜ 1 − OUT ⎟
⎝ V IN(MAX) ⎠
2.5
Inductor Core Selection
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0
0
500
1000
RT (kΩ)
Figure 1. Frequency vs RT
1500
3561 F02
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 do not radiate much energy, but generally
cost more than powdered iron core inductors with similar
electrical characteristics. The choice of which style inductor to use often depends more on the price vs size requirements and any radiated field/EMI requirements than on
what the LTC3561 requires to operate. Table 1 shows some
typical surface mount inductors that work well in LTC3561
applications.
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Table 1. Representative Surface Mount Inductors
MANUFACTURER PART NUMBER
Output Capacitor (COUT) Selection
MAX DC
VALUE CURRENT DCR HEIGHT
Toko
A914BYW-2R2M-D52LC 2.2µH
2.05A
49mΩ
2mm
Coilcraft
D01608C-222
2.2µH
Coilcraft
LP01704-222M
2.2µH
2.3A
70mΩ
3mm
2.4A
120mΩ 1mm
Sumida
CDRH2D18/HP-2R2
2.2µH
1.6A
48mΩ
Taiyo Yuden N05DB2R2M
2.2µH
2.9A
32mΩ 2.8mm
Murata
LQN6C2R2M04
2.2µH
3.2A
24mΩ
Cooper
SD3112-2R2
2.2µH
1.1A
140mΩ 1.2mm
TDK
VLF3010AT-2R2M1R0
2.2µH
1.0A
100mΩ 1.0mm
EPCO
B82470A1222M
2.2µH
1.6A
90mΩ 1.2mm
2mm
5mm
Input Capacitor (CIN) Selection
In continuous mode, the input current of the converter is
a square wave with a duty cycle of approximately VOUT/
VIN. To prevent large voltage transients, a low equivalent
series resistance (ESR) input capacitor sized for the maximum RMS current must be used. The maximum RMS
capacitor current is given by:
IRMS ≈ IMAX
VOUT (VIN − VOUT )
VIN
where the maximum average output current IMAX equals
the peak current minus half the peak-to-peak ripple current, IMAX = ILIM – ∆IL/2.
This formula has a maximum at VIN = 2VOUT, where
IRMS = IOUT/2. This simple worst case is commonly used
to design because even significant deviations do not offer
much relief. Note that capacitor manufacturer’s ripple
current ratings are often based on only 2000 hours lifetime. This 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 the size or height requirements of the design. An
additional 0.1µF to 1µF ceramic capacitor is also recommended on VIN for high frequency decoupling, when not
using an all ceramic capacitor solution.
The selection of COUT is driven by the required ESR to
minimize voltage ripple and load step transients. Typically,
once the ESR requirement is satisfied, the capacitance is
adequate for filtering. The output ripple (∆VOUT) is determined by:
⎛
1 ⎞
∆VOUT ≈ ∆IL ⎜ ESR +
8fO C OUT ⎟⎠
⎝
where f = operating frequency, COUT = output capacitance
and ∆IL = ripple current in the inductor. The output ripple
is highest at maximum input voltage since ∆IL increases
with input voltage. With ∆IL = 0.3 • ILIM the output ripple
will be less than 100mV at maximum VIN and fO = 1MHz
with:
ESRCOUT < 150mΩ
Once the ESR requirements for COUT have been met, the
RMS current rating generally far exceeds the IRIPPLE(P-P)
requirement, except for an all ceramic solution.
In surface mount applications, multiple capacitors may
have to be paralleled to meet the capacitance, ESR or RMS
current handling requirement of the application. Aluminum electrolytic, special polymer, ceramic and dry tantalum capacitors are all available in surface mount packages. The OS-CON semiconductor dielectric capacitor
available from Sanyo has the lowest ESR(size) product of
any aluminum electrolytic at a somewhat higher price.
Special polymer capacitors, such as Sanyo POSCAP, offer
very low ESR, but have a lower capacitance density than
other types. Tantalum capacitors have the highest capacitance density, but it has a larger ESR and it is critical that
the capacitors are surge tested for use in switching power
supplies. An excellent choice is the AVX TPS series of
surface mount tantalums, available in case heights ranging from 2mm to 4mm. Aluminum electrolytic capacitors
have a significantly larger ESR, and is often used in
extremely cost-sensitive applications provided that consideration is given to ripple current ratings and long term
reliability. Ceramic capacitors have the lowest ESR and
cost but also have the lowest capacitance density, a high
voltage and temperature coefficient and exhibit audible
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LTC3561
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APPLICATIO S I FOR ATIO
piezoelectric effects. In addition, the high Q of ceramic
capacitors along with trace inductance can lead to significant ringing. Other capacitor types include the Panasonic
specialty polymer (SP) capacitors.
In most cases, 0.1µF to 1µF of ceramic capacitors should
also be placed close to the LTC3561 in parallel with the
main capacitors for high frequency decoupling.
Ceramic Input and Output Capacitors
Higher value, lower cost ceramic capacitors are now
becoming available in smaller case sizes. These are tempting for switching regulator use because of their very low
ESR. Unfortunately, the ESR is so low that it can cause
loop stability problems. Solid tantalum capacitor ESR
generates a loop “zero” at 5kHz to 50kHz that is instrumental in giving acceptable loop phase margin. Ceramic capacitors remain capacitive to beyond 300kHz and usually
resonate with their ESL before ESR becomes effective.
Also, ceramic caps are prone to temperature effects which
requires the designer to check loop stability over the
operating temperature range. To minimize their large
temperature and voltage coefficients, only X5R or X7R
ceramic capacitors should be used. A good selection of
ceramic capacitors is available from Taiyo Yuden, TDK and
Murata.
Great care must be taken when using only ceramic input
and output capacitors. When a ceramic capacitor is used
at the input and the power is being supplied through long
wires, such as from a wall adapter, a load step at the output
can induce ringing at the VIN pin. At best, this ringing can
couple to the output and be mistaken as loop instability. At
worst, the ringing at the input can be large enough to
damage the part.
Since the ESR of a ceramic capacitor is so low, the input
and output capacitor must instead fulfill a charge storage
requirement. During a load step, the output capacitor must
instantaneously supply the current to support the load
until the feedback loop raises the switch current enough to
support the load. The time required for the feedback loop
to respond is dependent on the compensation components and the output capacitor size. Typically, 3 to 4 cycles
are required to respond to a load step, but only in the first
cycle does the output drop linearly. The output droop,
VDROOP, is usually about 2 to 3 times the linear drop of the
first cycle. Thus, a good place to start is with the output
capacitor size of approximately:
C OUT ≈ 2.5
∆IOUT
fO • VDROOP
More capacitance may be required depending on the duty
cycle and load step requirements.
In most applications, the input capacitor is merely required to supply high frequency bypassing, since the
impedance to the supply is very low. A 10µF ceramic
capacitor is usually enough for these conditions.
Setting the Output Voltage
The LTC3561 develops a 0.8V reference voltage between
the feedback pin, VFB, and the signal ground as shown in
Figure 4. The output voltage is set by a resistive divider
according to the following formula:
⎛ R2⎞
VOUT ≈ 0.8V ⎜ 1 + ⎟
⎝ R1⎠
Keeping the current small (<5µA) in these resistors maximizes efficiency, but making them too small may allow
stray capacitance to cause noise problems and reduce the
phase margin of the error amp loop.
To improve the frequency response, a feed-forward capacitor CF may also be used. Great care should be taken to
route the VFB line away from noise sources, such as the
inductor or the SW line.
Shutdown and Soft-Start
The SHDN/RT pin is a dual purpose pin that sets the
oscillator frequency and provides a means to shut down
the LTC3561. This pin can be interfaced with control logic
in several ways, as shown in Figure 2(a) and Figure 2(b).
The ITH pin is primarily for loop compensation, but it can
also be used to increase the soft-start time. Soft-start
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reduces surge currents from VIN by gradually increasing
the peak inductor current. Power supply sequencing can
also be accomplished using this pin. The LTC3561 has an
internal digital soft-start which steps up a clamp on ITH
over 1024 clock cycles, as can be seen in Figure 3.
The soft-start time can be increased by ramping the
voltage on ITH during start-up as shown in Figure 2(c). As
the voltage on ITH ramps through its operating range the
internal peak current limit is also ramped at a proportional
linear rate.
Checking Transient Response
The OPTI-LOOP compensation allows the transient response to be optimized for a wide range of loads and
output capacitors. The availability of the ITH pin not only
allows optimization of the control loop behavior but also
provides a DC coupled and AC filtered closed loop response test point. The DC step, rise time and settling at this
test point truly reflects the closed loop response. Assuming a predominantly second order system, phase margin
and/or damping factor can be estimated using the percentage of overshoot seen at this pin. The bandwidth can also
be estimated by examining the rise time at the pin.
The ITH external components shown in the front page
circuit will provide an adequate starting point for most
applications. The series R-C filter sets the dominant polezero loop compensation. The values can be modified
slightly (from 0.5 to 2 times their suggested values) to
optimize transient response once the final PC layout is
SHDN/RT
SHDN/RT
RT
RT
RUN
done and the particular output capacitor type and value
have been determined. The output capacitors need to be
selected because the various types and values determine
the loop feedback factor gain and phase. An output current
pulse of 20% to 100% of full load current having a rise time
of 1µs to 10µs will produce output voltage and ITH pin
waveforms that will give a sense of the overall loop
stability without breaking the feedback loop.
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 ∆ILOAD • ESR,
where ESR is the effective series resistance of COUT.
∆ILOAD 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 initial output voltage step may not be within the
bandwidth of the feedback loop, so the standard second
order overshoot/DC ratio cannot be used to determine
phase margin. The gain of the loop increases with R and
the bandwidth of the loop increases with decreasing C. If
R is increased by the same factor that C is decreased, the
zero frequency will be kept the same, thereby keeping the
phase the same in the most critical frequency range of the
feedback loop. In addition, a feedforward capacitor CF can
be added to improve the high frequency response, as
shown in Figure 5. Capacitor CF provides phase lead by
creating a high frequency zero with R2 which improves the
phase margin.
SVIN
1M
VIN
2V/DIV
RUN
3561 F03a
3561 F03b
(2a)
RUN OR VIN
(2b)
ITH
R1 D1
C1
RC
VOUT
2V/DIV
IL
500mA/DIV
VIN = 3.3V
VOUT = 2.5V
RL = 1.4Ω
CC
3561 F03c
(2c)
Figure 2. SHDN/RT Pin Interfacing and External Soft-Start
200µs/DIV
3411 F04.eps
Figure 3. Digital Soft-Start
3561f
9
LTC3561
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APPLICATIO S I FOR ATIO
The output voltage settling behavior is related to the
stability of the closed-loop system and will demonstrate
the actual overall supply performance. For a detailed
explanation of optimizing the compensation components,
including a review of control loop theory, refer to Linear
Technology Application Note 76.
produce the most improvement. Percent efficiency can be
expressed as:
Although a buck regulator is capable of providing the full
output current in dropout, it should be noted that as the
input voltage VIN drops toward VOUT, the load step capability does decrease due to the decreasing voltage across
the inductor. Applications that require large load step
capability near dropout should use a different topology
such as SEPIC, Zeta or single inductor, positive buck/
boost.
Although all dissipative elements in the circuit produce
losses, four main sources usually account for most of the
losses in LTC3561 circuits: 1) LTC3561 VIN current,
2) switching losses, 3) I2R losses, 4) other losses.
%Efficiency = 100% – (L1 + L2 + L3 + ...)
where L1, L2, etc. are the individual losses as a percentage
of input power.
1) The VIN current is the DC supply current given in the
electrical characteristics which excludes MOSFET driver
and control currents. VIN current results in a small
(<0.1%) loss that increases with VIN, even at no load.
In some applications, a more severe transient can be
caused by switching in loads with large (>1uF) input
capacitors. The discharged input capacitors are effectively
put in parallel with COUT, causing a rapid drop in VOUT. No
regulator can deliver enough current to prevent this
problem, if the switch connecting the load has low resistance and is driven quickly. The solution is to limit the turnon speed of the load switch driver. A hot swap controller
is designed specifically for this purpose and usually incorporates current limiting, short-circuit protection, and softstarting.
2) The switching current is the sum of the MOSFET driver
and control currents. The MOSFET driver current results from switching the gate capacitance of the power
MOSFETs. Each time a MOSFET gate is switched from
low to high to low again, a packet of charge dQ moves
from VIN to ground. The resulting dQ/dt is a current out
of VIN that is typically much larger than the DC bias
current. In continuous mode, IGATECHG = fO(QT + QB),
where QT and QB are the gate charges of the internal top
and bottom MOSFET switches. The gate charge losses
are proportional to VIN and thus their effects will be
more pronounced at higher supply voltages.
Efficiency Considerations
3) I2R Losses are calculated from the DC 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 internal
top and bottom switches. Thus, the series resistance
The percent 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
VIN
2.63V
TO 5.5V
+
C6
CIN
R6
SVIN
PGND
SW
PVIN
L1
D1
OPTIONAL
C8
PGND
LTC3561
VOUT
CF
+
COUT
C5
PGND
ITH
CITH
RC
CC
SGND PGND
VFB
PGND
SHDN/RT
R1
PGND
R2
RT
3561 F05
Figure 4. LTC3561 General Schematic
3561f
10
LTC3561
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APPLICATIO S I FOR ATIO
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. Thus, to obtain I2R losses:
I2R losses = IOUT2(RSW + RL)
4) Other “hidden” losses such as copper trace and internal
battery resistances can account for additional efficiency
degradations in portable systems. It is very important to
include these “system” level losses in the design of a
system. The internal battery and fuse resistance losses
can be minimized by making sure that CIN has adequate
charge storage and very low ESR at the switching
frequency. Other losses including diode conduction
losses during dead-time and inductor core losses generally account for less than 2% total additional loss.
Thermal Considerations
In a majority of applications, the LTC3561 does not dissipate much heat due to its high efficiency. However, in
applications where the LTC3561 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 LTC3561 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:
TRISE = 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.
The junction temperature, TJ, is given by:
TJ = TRISE + TAMBIENT
As an example, consider the case when the LTC3561 is in
dropout at an input voltage of 3.3V with a load current of
1A. From the Typical Performance Characteristics graph
of Switch Resistance, the RDS(ON) resistance of the
P-channel switch is 0.11Ω. Therefore, power dissipated
by the part is:
PD = I2 • RDS(ON) = 110mW
The DD8 package junction-to-ambient thermal resistance,
θJA, will be in the range of about 43°C/W. Therefore, the
junction temperature of the regulator operating in a 70°C
ambient temperature is approximately:
TJ = 0.11 • 43 + 70 = 74.7°C
Remembering that the above junction temperature is
obtained from an RDS(ON) at 25°C, we might recalculate
the junction temperature based on a higher RDS(ON) since
it increases with temperature. However, we can safely
assume that the actual junction temperature will not
exceed the absolute maximum junction temperature of
125°C.
Design Example
As a design example, consider using the LTC3561 in a
portable application with a Li-Ion battery (refer to Figure 4
for reference designation). The battery provides a VIN =
2.5V to 4.2V. The load requires a maximum of 1A in active
mode and 10mA in standby mode. The output voltage is
VOUT = 2.5V.
First, calculate the timing resistor:
RT = 9.78 • 1011(1MHz )
−1.08
= 323.8k
Use a standard value of 324k. Next, calculate the inductor
value for about 40% ripple current at maximum VIN:
L=
2.5V
⎛ 2.5V ⎞
• ⎜ 1−
= 2.5µH
1MHz • 400mA ⎝ 4.2V ⎟⎠
Choosing the closest inductor from a vendor of 2.2µH,
results in a maximum ripple current of:
∆IL =
2.5V
⎛ 2.5V ⎞
• ⎜ 1−
⎟ = 460mA
1MHz • 2.2µ ⎝ 4.2V ⎠
3561f
11
LTC3561
U
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APPLICATIO S I FOR ATIO
For cost reasons, a ceramic capacitor will be used. COUT
selection is then based on load step droop instead of ESR
requirements. For a 5% output droop:
C OUT ≈ 2.5
1A
= 20µF
1MHz • (5%• 2.5V)
The closest standard value is 22µF. Since the output
impedance of a Li-Ion battery is very low, CIN is typically
10µF. In noisy environments, decoupling SVIN from PVIN
with an R6/C8 filter of 1Ω/0.1µF may help, but is typically
not needed.
The output voltage can now be programmed by choosing
the values of R1 and R2. To maintain high efficiency, the
current in these resistors should be kept small. Choosing
2µA with the 0.8V feedback voltage makes R1~400k. A
close standard 1% resistor is 412k and R2 is then 887k.
The compensation should be optimized for these components by examining the load step response but a good
place to start for the LTC3561 is with a 13kΩ and 1000pF
filter. The output capacitor may need to be increased
depending on the actual undershoot during a load step.
The circuit in Figure 6 shows the complete schematic for
this design example.
Board Layout Considerations
When laying out the printed circuit board, the following checklist should be used to ensure proper operation of the LTC3561. These items are also illustrated
graphically in the layout diagram of Figure 5. Check
the following in your layout:
1. Does the capacitor CIN connect to the power VIN (Pin 5)
and power GND (Pin 4) as close as possible? This
capacitor provides the AC current to the internal power
MOSFETs and their drivers.
2. Are the COUT and L1 closely connected? The (–) plate of
COUT returns current to PGND and the (–) plate of CIN.
3. The resistor divider, R1 and R2, must be connected
between the (+) plate of COUT and a ground line terminated near SGND (Pin 2). The feedback signal VFB
should be routed away from noisy components and
traces, such as the SW line (Pin 3), and its trace should
be minimized.
4. Keep sensitive components away from the SW pin. The
input capacitor CIN, the compensation capacitor CC and
CITH and all the resistors R1, R2, RT, and RC should be
routed away from the SW trace and the inductor L1.
5. A ground plane is preferred, but if not available, keep the
signal and power grounds segregated with small signal
components returning to the SGND pin at one point
which is then connected to the PGND pin.
6. Flood all unused areas on all layers with copper.
Flooding with copper will reduce the temperature rise of
power components. These copper areas should be
connected to one of the input supplies: PVIN, PGND,
SVIN or SGND.
CIN
VIN
COUT
PGND
PVIN
L1
SVIN
C4
R2
R1
LTC3561
SW
VFB
SGND
ITH
SHDN/RT
R3
VOUT
RT
C3
3561 F06
BOLD LINES INDICATE HIGH CURRENT PATHS
Figure 5. LTC3561 Layout Diagram (See Board Layout Checklist)
3561f
12
LTC3561
U
TYPICAL APPLICATIO S
Efficiency vs Load Current
C1
10µF
L1
2.2µH
PVIN
SW
SVIN
R2 887K
LTC3561
ITH
VFB
3.3V
2.5V
1.8V
PGND
C4 22pF
R3
13k
R4
324k
C3
1000pF
90
80
SHDN/RT
SGND
100
VOUT
1.8V/2.5V/3.3V
AT 1A
R1A
280k
R1B
412k
EFFICIENCY (%)
VIN
2.63V TO
5.5V
C2
22µF
R1C
698k
70
60
50
40
30
20
VIN = 3.3V
VOUT = 2.5V
fO = 1MHz
10
NOTE: IN DROPOUT, THE OUTPUT TRACKS THE INPUT VOLTAGE
C1, C2: TAIYO YUDEN JMK325BJ226MM
L1: TOKO A914BYW-2R2M (D52LC SERIES)
3561 F07a
0
1
10
100
LOAD CURRENT (mA)
3561 F07b
Figure 6. General Purpose Buck Regulator Using Ceramic Capacitors
Efficiency and VOUT Ripple
Small Footprint Buck
C1
10µF
VIN
2.63V
TO 5.5V
100
LTC3561
VFB
SGND
ITH
SHDN/RT
R3
10k
L1
2.2µH
D1
C4
22pF
R2
100k
R1
200k
R4
324k
C3
470pF
C2
22µF
1.2V
AT 1.0A
EFFICIENCY (%)
SW
50
80
40
70
30
EFFICIENCY
60
20
50
10
VOUT RIPPLE
40
1
10
100
VOUT RIPPLE (mV)
PGND
SVIN
60
VIN = 3.3V
VOUT = 1.2V
90
PVIN
1000
0
1000
ILOAD (mA)
3561 TA02
3561 TA03
C1: AVX 06034D106M
C2: AVX 08054D226M
L1: SUMIDA CDRH2D18/HP-2R2
3561f
13
LTC3561
U
TYPICAL APPLICATIO S
All Ceramic 2-Cell to 3.3V and 1.8V Converters
VIN = 2V TO 3V
L1
4.7µH
D1
VOUT
3.3V
120mA/1A
C5
10µF
LTC3402
VIN
+2
CELLS
SHDN
1M
VOUT
PVIN
SVIN
MODE/SYNC FB
PGOOD
C1
10µF
SW
ITH
604k
VC
C2
44µF
(2 × 22µF)
1000pF
RT
49.9k
0 = FIXED FREQ
1 = Burst Mode OPERATION
GND
10pF
887k
SGND
PGND
324k
1000pF
C1: TAIYO YUDEN JMK212BJ106MG
C2: TAIYO YUDEN JMK325BJ226MM
C5, C6: TAIYO YUDEN JMK325BJ226MM
SW
L2
2.2µH
VFB
SHDN/RT
13k
47k
LTC3561
D1: ON SEMICONDUCTOR MBRM120LT3
L1: TOKO A916CY-4R7M
L2: TOKO A914BYW-2R2M (D52LC SERIES)
VOUT
1.8V/1A
C6
22µF
10pF
412k
3561 TA06
Efficiency and VOUT Ripple
100
VIN = 2.4V
3.3V
EFFICIENCY (%)
90
1.8V
80
70
60
50
40
1
10
100
1000
ILOAD (mA)
3561 TA07
3561f
14
LTC3561
U
PACKAGE DESCRIPTIO
DD Package
8-Lead Plastic DFN (3mm × 3mm)
(Reference LTC DWG # 05-08-1698)
R = 0.115
TYP
5
0.38 ± 0.10
8
0.675 ±0.05
3.5 ±0.05
1.65 ±0.05
2.15 ±0.05 (2 SIDES)
3.00 ±0.10
(4 SIDES)
PACKAGE
OUTLINE
1.65 ± 0.10
(2 SIDES)
PIN 1
TOP MARK
(NOTE 6)
(DD8) DFN 1203
0.25 ± 0.05
0.200 REF
0.50
BSC
2.38 ±0.05
(2 SIDES)
RECOMMENDED SOLDER PAD PITCH AND DIMENSIONS
0.75 ±0.05
0.00 – 0.05
4
0.25 ± 0.05
1
0.50 BSC
2.38 ±0.10
(2 SIDES)
BOTTOM VIEW—EXPOSED PAD
NOTE:
1. DRAWING TO BE MADE A JEDEC PACKAGE OUTLINE M0-229 VARIATION OF (WEED-1)
2. DRAWING NOT TO SCALE
3. ALL DIMENSIONS ARE IN MILLIMETERS
4. DIMENSIONS OF EXPOSED PAD ON BOTTOM OF PACKAGE DO NOT INCLUDE
MOLD FLASH. MOLD FLASH, IF PRESENT, SHALL NOT EXCEED 0.15mm ON ANY SIDE
5. EXPOSED PAD SHALL BE SOLDER PLATED
6. SHADED AREA IS ONLY A REFERENCE FOR PIN 1 LOCATION
ON TOP AND BOTTOM OF PACKAGE
3561f
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
LTC3561
U
TYPICAL APPLICATIO
Efficiency vs Load Current
1mm Height, 2MHz, Li-Ion to 1.8V Converter
100
PVIN
SW
C1
10µF
LTC3561
ITH
R3
10k
C7
47pF
L1
1µH
SVIN
SGND PGND
C4 10pF
VOUT
1.8V
AT 1A
C2
2 x 10µF
VFB
R1
200k
SHDN/RT
R2
294k
80
3.6V
70
2.7V
60
4.2V
R4
154k
C3
1000pF
VOUT = 1.8V
90
EFFICIENCY (%)
VIN
2.63V
TO 4.2V
50
3561 TA04
40
1
C1, C2: AVX 08056D106M
L1: TDK VLF3010ATIR5NIRZ
10
100
1000
ILOAD (mA)
3561 TA05
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ThinSOT is a trademark of Linear Technology Corporation.
3561f
16
Linear Technology Corporation
LT 0406 • PRINTED IN USA
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