LTC3736-1 Dual 2-Phase, No RSENSETM, Synchronous Controller with Spread Spectrum U FEATURES DESCRIPTIO ■ The LTC®3736-1 is a 2-phase dual synchronous stepdown switching regulator controller with tracking that drives external complementary power MOSFETs using few external components. The constant frequency current mode architecture with MOSFET VDS sensing eliminates the need for sense resistors and improves efficiency. Power loss and noise due to the ESR of the input capacitance are minimized by operating the two controllers out of phase. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Spread Spectrum Operation Tracking Function No Current Sense Resistors Required Out-of-Phase Controllers Reduce Required Input Capacitance Wide VIN Range: 2.75V to 9.8V Current Mode Operation 0.6V ±1.5% Voltage Reference Low Dropout Operation: 100% Duty Cycle Pulse Skipping Operation at Light Loads Internal Soft-Start Circuitry Power Good Output Voltage Monitor Output Overvoltage Protection Micropower Shutdown: IQ = 9µA Tiny Low Profile (4mm × 4mm) QFN and Narrow SSOP Packages A unique spread spectrum architecture randomly varies the LTC3736-1’s switching frequency from 450kHz to 580kHz, significantly reducing the peak radiated and conducted noise on both the input and output supplies, making it easier to comply with electromagnetic interference (EMI) standards. Pulse skipping operation provides high efficiency at light loads. 100% duty cycle capability provides low dropout operation, extending operating time in battery-powered systems. The high switching frequencies allow for the use of small surface mount inductors and capacitors. U APPLICATIO S ■ ■ ■ ■ One or Two Lithium-Ion Powered Devices Notebook and Palmtop Computers, PDAs Portable Instruments Distributed DC Power Systems The LTC3736-1 is available in the low profile (0.75mm) 24-pin thermally enhanced (4mm × 4mm) QFN package and 24-lead narrow SSOP packages. , LTC and LT are registered trademarks of Linear Technology Corporation. No RSENSE is a trademark of Linear Technology Corporation. Protected by U.S. Patents including 5481178, 5929620, 6144194, 6580258, 6304066, 6611131, 6498466. U TYPICAL APPLICATIO Output Voltage Frequency Spectrum Low Noise, 2-Phase, Dual Synchronous DC/DC Step-Down Converter VIN 2.75V TO 9.8V SENSE1+ SENSE2+ TG1 TG2 187k + 47µF 2.2µH SW1 SW2 LTC3736-1 BG1 VOUT1 2.5V 220pF 59k BG2 PGND PGND VFB1 VFB2 ITH1 ITH2 SGND 15k AMPLITUDE (dBm) VIN 2.2µH –10 10µF ×2 118k –50 –60 –70 –80 –90 –100 + 220pF 15k VOUT2 1.8V FIGURE 13 CIRCUIT SPREAD SPECTRUM –20 VOUT = 2.5V DISABLED RBW = 30Hz –30 SPREAD SPECTRUM –40 ENABLED 47µF 59k –110 410k 450k 490k 530k FREQUENCY (Hz) 570k 610k 37361 TA01b 37361 TA01a 37361f 1 LTC3736-1 W W W AXI U U ABSOLUTE RATI GS (Note 1) Input Supply Voltage (VIN) ........................ – 0.3V to 10V FREQ, RUN/SS, SSDIS, TRACK, SENSE1+, SENSE2+, IPRG1, IPRG2 Voltages ................. – 0.3V to (VIN + 0.3V) VFB1, VFB2, ITH1, ITH2 Voltages .................. – 0.3V to 2.4V SW1, SW2 Voltages ............ –2V to VIN + 1V or 10V Max PGOOD ..................................................... – 0.3V to 10V TG1, TG2, BG1, BG2 Peak Output Current (<10µs) ..... 1A Operating Temperature Range (Note 2) ... –40°C to 85°C Storage Temperature Range .................. –65°C to 125°C Junction Temperature (Note 3) ............................ 125°C Lead Temperature (Soldering, 10 sec) (LTC3736EGN-1) .................................................. 300°C U U W PACKAGE/ORDER I FOR ATIO ORDER PART NUMBER BG1 PGND SENSE1+ SW1 IPRG1 VFB1 TOP VIEW LTC3736EUF-1 24 23 22 21 20 19 ITH1 1 18 SSDIS IPRG2 2 17 TG1 FREQ 3 16 PGND 25 SGND 4 15 TG2 VIN 5 14 RUN/SS TRACK 6 ITH2 PGOOD SENSE2 PGND 9 10 11 12 + 8 SW2 7 VFB2 13 BG2 UF PART MARKING 3736-1 TOP VIEW SW1 1 24 SENSE1+ IPRG1 2 23 PGND VFB1 3 22 BG1 ITH1 4 21 SSDIS IPRG2 5 20 TG1 FREQ 6 19 PGND SGND 7 18 TG2 VIN 8 17 RUN/SS TRACK 9 16 BG2 VFB2 10 15 PGND ITH2 11 14 SENSE2+ PGOOD 12 UF PACKAGE 24-LEAD (4mm × 4mm) PLASTIC QFN ORDER PART NUMBER LTC3736EGN-1 13 SW2 GN PACKAGE 24-LEAD PLASTIC SSOP TJMAX = 125°C, θJA = 37°C/W EXPOSED PAD (PIN 25) IS PGND MUST BE SOLDERED TO PCB TJMAX = 125°C, θJA = 130°C/ W Consult LTC Marketing for parts specified with wider operating temperature ranges. ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS The ● denotes specifications that apply over the full operating temperature range, otherwise specifications are at TA = 25°C. VIN = 4.2V unless otherwise specified. PARAMETER CONDITIONS MIN TYP MAX UNITS 500 9 3 850 20 10 µA µA µA 1.95 2.15 2.25 2.45 2.55 2.75 V V 0.45 0.65 0.85 V Main Control Loops Input DC Supply Current Normal Mode Shutdown UVLO (Note 4) Undervoltage Lockout Threshold VIN Falling VIN Rising RUN/SS = 0V VIN < UVLO Threshold ● ● Shutdown Threshold at RUN/SS Start-Up Current Source RUN/SS = 0V Regulated Feedback Voltage 0°C to 85°C (Note 5) –40°C to 85°C Output Voltage Line Regulation 2.75V < VIN < 9.8V (Note 5) ● 0.5 0.7 1 µA 0.591 0.588 0.6 0.6 0.609 0.612 V V 0.05 0.2 mV/V 37361f 2 LTC3736-1 ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS The ● denotes specifications that apply over the full operating temperature range, otherwise specifications are at TA = 25°C. VIN = 4.2V unless otherwise specified. PARAMETER CONDITIONS Output Voltage Load Regulation ITH = 0.9V (Note 5) ITH = 1.7V VFB1,2 Input Current (Note 5) TRACK Input Current TRACK = 0.6V Overvoltage Protect Threshold Measured at VFB MIN 0.66 Overvoltage Protect Hysteresis TYP MAX UNITS 0.12 –0.12 0.5 –0.5 % % 10 50 nA 10 50 nA 0.68 0.7 V 20 mV Top Gate (TG) Drive 1, 2 Rise Time CL = 3000pF 40 ns Top Gate (TG) Drive 1, 2 Fall Time CL = 3000pF 40 ns Bottom Gate (BG) Drive 1, 2 Rise Time CL = 3000pF 50 ns Bottom Gate (BG) Drive 1, 2 Fall Time CL = 3000pF Maximum Current Sense Voltage (SENSE+ – SW)(∆VSENSE(MAX)) IPRG = Floating (Note 6) IPRG = 0V IPRG = VIN Soft-Start Time Time for VFB1 to Ramp from 0.05V to 0.55V 40 ● ● ● ns 110 70 185 125 85 204 140 100 223 mV mV mV 0.667 0.833 1 ms 480 260 650 550 300 750 600 340 825 kHz kHz kHz Spread Spectrum Oscillator Oscillator Frequency Spread Spectrum Frequency Range Spread Spectrum Disabled (SSDIS = VIN) VFREQ = Floating VFREQ = 0V VFREQ = VIN ● ● ● SSDIS = GND Minimum Switching Frequency Maximum Switching Frequency 450 580 kHz kHz PGOOD Voltage Low IPGOOD Sinking 1mA 125 mV PGOOD Trip Level VFB with Respect to Set Output Voltage VFB < 0.6V, Ramping Positive VFB < 0.6V, Ramping Negative VFB > 0.6V, Ramping Negative VFB > 0.6V, Ramping Positive PGOOD Output Note 1: Absolute Maximum Ratings are those values beyond which the life of a device may be impaired. Note 2: The LTC3736E-1 is guaranteed to meet specified performance from 0°C to 70°C. Specifications over the –40°C to 85°C operating range are assured by design, characterization and correlation with statistical process controls. Note 3: TJ is calculated from the ambient temperature TA and power dissipation PD according to the following formula: TJ = TA + (PD • θJA°C/W) –13 –16 7 10 –10.0 –13.3 10.0 13.3 –7 –10 13 16 % % % % Note 4: Dynamic supply current is higher due to gate charge being delivered at the switching frequency. Note 5: The LTC3736-1 is tested in a feedback loop that servos ITH to a specified voltage and measures the resultant VFB voltage. Note 6: Peak current sense voltage is reduced dependent on duty cycle to a percentage of value as shown in Figure 2. 37361f 3 LTC3736-1 U W TYPICAL PERFOR A CE CHARACTERISTICS Efficiency and Power Lost vs Load Current 10 Load Step (Spread Spectrum Enabled) Load Step (Spread Spectrum Disabled) 100 FIGURE 13 CIRCUIT VIN = 5V 95 90 1 85 80 0.1 75 70 VOUT AC-COUPLED 100mV/DIV EFFICIENCY (%) POWER LOST (W) TA = 25°C unless otherwise noted. VOUT AC-COUPLED 100mV/DIV IL 2A/DIV IL 2A/DIV 65 0.01 60 VIN = 3.3V 100µs/DIV VOUT = 1.8V ILOAD = 300mA TO 3A SSDIS = GND FIGURE 15 CIRCUIT VOUT = 2.5V 55 VOUT = 1.8V 50 100 1000 10000 10 LOAD CURRENT (mA) 0.001 1 100µs/DIV VIN = 3.3V VOUT = 1.8V ILOAD = 300mA TO 3A SSDIS = VIN FIGURE 15 CIRCUIT 37361 G02 37361 G03 37361 G01 Input Voltage Noise (Spread Spectrum Disabled) –10 FIGURE 13 CIRCUIT –20 VIN = 5V = 2.5V V –30 ROUT= 30Hz BW –40 SSDIS = VIN AMPLITUDE (dBm) AMPLITUDE (dBm) –10 –50 –60 –70 –80 FIGURE 13 CIRCUIT –20 VIN = 5V = 2.5V V –30 ROUT= 30Hz BW –40 SSDIS = GND VOUT1 2.5V VOUT2 1.8V –50 500mV/ DIV –60 –70 –80 –90 –90 –100 –100 –110 410k 450k Tracking Start-Up with Internal Soft-Start (CSS = 0µF) Input Voltage Noise (Spread Spectrum Enabled) 490k 530k FREQUENCY (Hz) 570k 610k –110 410k 450k 490k 530k FREQUENCY (Hz) 570k Oscillator Frequency vs Input Voltage Output Voltage Ripple VOUT1 2.5V VOUT2 1.8V SSDIS = VIN CONSTANT 550kHz OPERATION 500mV/ DIV 50mV/DIV AC-COUPLED SSDIS = GND SPREAD SPECTRUM 37361 G07 1µs/DIV FIGURE 15 CIRCUIT ENVELOPE OF 100 SAMPLES 37361 G20 NORMALIZED FREQUENCY SHIFT (%) 5 40ms/DIV VIN = 5V RLOAD1 = RLOAD2 = 1Ω SSDIS = VIN FIGURE 15 CIRCUIT 37361 G06 37361 G05 37361 G04 Tracking Start-Up with External Soft-Start (CSS = 0.15µF) 610k VIN = 5V 200µs/DIV RLOAD1 = RLOAD2 = 1Ω SSDIS = GND FIGURE 15 CIRCUIT 4 SSDIS = VIN 3 2 1 0 –1 –2 –3 –4 –5 2 3 4 8 6 5 7 INPUT VOLTAGE (V) 9 10 37361 G08 37361f 4 LTC3736-1 U W TYPICAL PERFOR A CE CHARACTERISTICS Efficiency and Power Lost vs Load Current 10 100 Efficiency vs Load Current 100 FIGURE 13 CIRCUIT VOUT = 2.5V POWER LOST (W) 20 0.1 75 70 VIN = 5V 60 VIN = 3.3V VIN = 4.2V 55 VIN = 7.2V 50 10 100 1000 10000 LOAD CURRENT (mA) 0.001 2 1 1.5 ITH VOLTAGE (V) 1 1.0 0.607 0.9 55 1 0.599 0.597 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.595 0.2 0.593 0.1 0 –60 –40 –20 0 20 40 60 TEMPERATURE (°C) 100 80 10 NORMALIZED FREQUENCY (%) 8 125 120 100 37361 G14 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 –60 –40 –20 0 20 40 60 TEMPERATURE (°C) 100 37361 G13 2.50 SSDIS = VIN 2.45 6 4 2 0 –2 –4 –6 –10 –60 –40 –20 0 20 40 60 TEMPERATURE (°C) 100 80 Undervoltage Lockout Threshold vs Temperature VIN RISING 2.40 2.35 2.30 VIN FALLING 2.25 2.20 2.15 –8 80 0.8 Oscillator Frequency vs Temperature IPRG = FLOAT 130 80 0.9 37361 G12 Maximum Current Sense Threshold vs Temperature 10000 RUN/SS Pull-Up Current vs Temperature INPUT (VIN) VOLTAGE (V) 0.601 10 100 1000 LOAD CURRENT (mA) 37361 G19 0.8 0.605 0.603 SPREAD SPECTRUM CONSTANT 550kHz 50 1.0 37361 G11 MAXIMUM CURRENT SENSE THRESHOLD (mV) 60 RUN/SS PULL-UP CURRENT (µA) 0.609 115 –60 –40 –20 0 20 40 60 TEMPERATURE (°C) 70 Shutdown (RUN) Threshold vs Temperature RUN/SS VOLTAGE (V) FEEDBACK VOLTAGE (V) Regulated Feedback Voltage vs Temperature 135 75 37361 G10 37361 G09 0.591 20 40 60 –60 –40 –20 0 TEMPERATURE (°C) 80 65 65 0.01 0.5 85 80 0 –20 85 EFFICIENCY (%) CURRENT LIMIT (%) 1 40 90 FIGURE 13 CIRCUIT 95 VOUT = 2.5V VIN = 5V 90 95 80 60 100 EFFICIENCY (%) Maximum Current Sense Voltage vs ITH Pin Voltage TA = 25°C unless otherwise noted. 80 100 37361 G15 2.10 20 40 60 –60 –40 –20 0 TEMPERATURE (°C) 80 100 37361 G16 37361f 5 LTC3736-1 U W TYPICAL PERFOR A CE CHARACTERISTICS Shutdown Quiescent Current vs Input Voltage SHUTDOWN CURRENT (µA) RUN/SS Start-Up Current vs Input Voltage 0.9 RUN/SS = 0V RUN/SS PIN PULL-UP CURRENT (µA) 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 2 3 4 8 6 5 7 INPUT VOLTAGE (V) 9 10 37361 G17 U U U PI FU CTIO S TA = 25°C unless otherwise noted. RUN/SS = 0V 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0 2 3 4 6 7 5 8 INPUT VOLTAGE (V) 9 10 37361 G18 (UF/GN Package) ITH1/ITH2 (Pins 1, 8/Pins 4, 11): Current Threshold and Error Amplifier Compensation Point. Nominal operating range on these pins is from 0.7V to 2V. The voltage on these pins determines the threshold of the main current comparator. FREQ (Pin 3/Pin 6): Frequency Filter and Adjust Pin. Normally, when spread spectrum operation is enabled (SSDIS = GND), a capacitor (1nF to 4.7nF) is connected from this pin to SGND or VIN to filter and smooth the changes in frequency of the LTC3736-1’s internal oscillator. When spread spectrum operation is disabled (SSDIS = VIN), this pin serves as a frequency adjust pin. In this mode, tying this pin to GND selects 300kHz operation; tying this pin to VIN selects 750kHz operation; floating this pin selects 550kHz operation. When spread spectrum operation is enabled (SSDIS = GND), an external voltage between approximately 0.7V and 1.5V may be applied to this pin to adjust (in an analog manner) the LTC3736-1’s frequency. SGND (Pin 4/Pin 7): Small-Signal Ground. This pin serves as the ground connection for most internal circuits. VIN (Pin 5/Pin 8): Chip Signal Power Supply. This pin powers the entire chip except for the gate drivers. Externally filtering this pin with a lowpass RC network (e.g., R = 10Ω, C = 1µF) is suggested to minimize noise pickup, especially in high load current applications. TRACK (Pin 6/Pin 9): Tracking Input for Second Controller. Allows the start-up of VOUT2 to “track” that of VOUT1 according to a ratio established by a resistor divider on VOUT1 connected to the TRACK pin. For one-to-one tracking of VOUT1 and VOUT2 during start-up, a resistor divider with a ratio equal to those connected to VFB2 from VOUT2 should be used to connect to TRACK from VOUT1. PGOOD(Pin 9/Pin 12): Power Good Output Voltage Monitor Open-Drain Logic Output. This pin is pulled to ground when the voltage on either feedback pin (VFB1, VFB2) is not within ±13.3% of its nominal set point. PGND (Pins 12, 16, 20, 25/Pins 15, 19, 23): Power Ground. These pins serve as the ground connection for the gate drivers and the negative input to the reverse current comparators. The Exposed Pad (UF package) must be soldered to PCB ground. RUN/SS (Pin 14/Pin 17): Run Control Input and Optional External Soft-Start Input. Forcing this pin below 0.65V shuts down the chip (both channels). Driving this pin to VIN or releasing this pin enables the chip, using the chip’s internal soft-start. An external soft-start can be programmed by connecting a capacitor between this pin and ground. 37361f 6 LTC3736-1 U U U PI FU CTIO S (UF/GN Package) TG1/TG2 (Pins 17, 15/Pins 20, 18): Top (PMOS) Gate Drive Output. These pins drive the gates of the external P-channel MOSFETs. These pins have an output swing from PGND to SENSE+. SW1/SW2 (Pins 22, 10/Pins 1, 13): Switch Node Connection to Inductor. Also the negative input to differential peak current comparator and an input to the reverse current comparator. Normally connected to the drain of the external P-channel MOSFETs, the drain of the external N-channel MOSFET and the inductor. SSDIS (Pin 18/Pin 21): Spread Spectrum Disable Input. Tie this pin to VIN to disable spread spectrum operation. In this mode, the LTC3736-1 operates at a constant frequency determined by the voltage on the FREQ pin. Tie this pin to GND to enable spread spectrum operation. IPRG1/IPRG2 (Pins 23, 2/Pins 2, 5): Three-State Pins to Select Maximum Peak Sense Voltage Threshold. These pins select the maximum allowed voltage drop between the SENSE+ and SW pins (i.e., the maximum allowed drop across the external P-channel MOSFET) for each channel. Tie to VIN, GND or float to select 204mV, 85mV or 125mV respectively. BG1/BG2 (Pins 19, 13/Pins 22, 16): Bottom (NMOS) Gate Drive Output. These pins drive the gates of the external Nchannel MOSFETs. These pins have an output swing from PGND to SENSE+. VFB1/VFB2 (Pins 24, 7/Pins 3, 10): Feedback Pins. Receives the remotely sensed feedback voltage for its controller from an external resistor divider across the output. SENSE1+/SENSE2+ (Pins 21, 11/Pins 24, 14): Positive Input to Differential Current Comparator. Also powers the gate drivers. Normally connected to the source of the external P-channel MOSFET. Exposed Pad (Pin 25/NA): The exposed pad (UF Package) must be soldered to the PCB ground. W FU CTIO AL DIAGRA (Common Circuitry) U RVIN VIN UNDERVOLTAGE LOCKOUT CVIN VOLTAGE REFERENCE VIN (TO CONTROLLER 1, 2) 0.6V VREF 0.7µA SHDN RUN/SS EXTSS + tSEC = 1ms INTSS – SSDIS FREQ SPREAD SPECTRUM OSCILLATOR CLK1 CLK2 SLOPE1 SLOPE COMP VFB1 SLOPE2 – UV1 + SHDN 0.54V IPRG1 IPRG2 PGOOD OV1 VOLTAGE MAXIMUM CONTROLLED SENSE VOLTAGE OSCILLATOR SELECT IPROG1 + UV2 IPROG2 VFB2 OV2 37361 FD – 37361f 7 U LTC3736-1 W FU CTIO AL DIAGRA U (Controller 1) U VIN SENSE1 + CIN RS1 CLK1 S TG1 MP1 Q R SWITCHING LOGIC AND BLANKING CIRCUIT OV1 SC1 PGND SW1 ANTISHOOT THROUGH L1 VOUT1 SENSE1+ COUT1 BG1 MN1 PGND SKIP1 IREV1 SLOPE1 SW1 – ICMP SENSE1+ + IPROG1 SHDN – + VFB1 R1B EAMP + R1A – 0.6V ITH1 EXTSS INTSS – RITH1 SKIP1 + 0.12V – VFB1 – PGND + SC1 0.15V OV1 – VFB1 + 0.68V OVP IREV1 CITH1 SCP RICMP + SW1 37361 CONT1 IPROG1 37361f 8 LTC3736-1 W FU CTIO AL DIAGRA U (Controller 2) SENSE2+ RS2 CLK2 S VIN TG2 MP2 Q R SWITCHING LOGIC AND BLANKING CIRCUIT OV2 SC2 PGND SW2 ANTISHOOT THROUGH L2 VOUT2 SENSE2+ COUT2 BG2 MN2 PGND SKIP2 IREV2 SLOPE2 SW2 – ICMP SENSE2+ + SHDN – + R2B VFB2 EAMP + R2A VOUT1 – TRACK RTRACKB 0.6V RTRACKA ITH2 – RITH2 SKIP2 + SC2 + 0.12V – VFB2 – PGND CITH2 SCP 0.15V TRACK – OV2 VFB2 IREV2 OVP + + 0.68V SW2 37361 CONT2 IPROG2 37361f 9 U LTC3736-1 U OPERATIO (Refer to Functional Diagram) Main Control Loop The LTC3736-1 uses a current mode architecture with the two controllers operating 180 degrees out of phase. During normal operation, the top external P-channel power MOSFET is turned on when the clock for that channel sets the RS latch, and turned off when the current comparator (ICMP) resets the latch. The peak inductor current at which ICMP resets the RS latch is determined by the voltage on the ITH pin, which is driven by the output of the error amplifier (EAMP). The VFB pin receives the output voltage feedback signal from an external resistor divider. This feedback signal is compared to the internal 0.6V reference voltage by the EAMP. When the load current increases, it causes a slight decrease in VFB relative to the 0.6V reference, which in turn causes the ITH voltage to increase until the average inductor current matches the new load current. While the top P-channel MOSFET is off, the bottom N-channel MOSFET is turned on until either the inductor current starts to reverse, as indicated by the current reversal comparator, IRCMP, or the beginning of the next cycle. Shutdown, Soft-Start and Tracking Start-Up (RUN/SS and TRACK Pins) The LTC3736-1 is shut down by pulling the RUN/SS pin low. In shutdown, all controller functions are disabled and the chip draws only 9µA. The TG outputs are held high (off) and the BG outputs low (off) in shutdown. Releasing RUN/SS allows an internal 0.7µA current source to charge up the RUN/SS pin. When the RUN/SS pin reaches 0.65V, the LTC3736-1’s two controllers are enabled. The start-up of VOUT1 is controlled by the LTC3736-1’s internal soft-start. During soft-start, the error amplifier EAMP compares the feedback signal VFB1 to the internal soft-start ramp (instead of the 0.6V reference), which rises linearly from 0V to 0.6V in about 1ms. This allows the output voltage to rise smoothly from 0V to its final value, while maintaining control of the inductor current. The 1ms soft-start time can be increased by connecting the optional external soft-start capacitor CSS between the RUN/SS and SGND pins. As the RUN/SS pin continues to rise linearly from approximately 0.65V to 1.3V (being charged by the internal 0.7µA current source), the EAMP regulates the VFB1 proportionally linearly from 0V to 0.6V. The start-up of VOUT2 is controlled by the voltage on the TRACK pin. When the voltage on the TRACK pin is less than the 0.6V internal reference, the LTC3736-1 regulates the VFB2 voltage to the TRACK pin instead of the 0.6V reference. Typically, a resistor divider on VOUT1 is connected to the TRACK pin to allow the start-up of VOUT2 to “track” that of VOUT1. For one-to-one tracking during startup, the resistor divider would have the same ratio as the divider on VOUT2 that is connected to VFB2. Light Load Operation The LTC3736-1 operates in PWM pulse skipping mode at light loads. In this mode, the current comparator ICMP may remain tripped for several cycles and force the external Pchannel MOSFET to stay off for the same number of cycles. The inductor current is not allowed to reverse (discontinuous operation). This mode exhibits low output ripple as well as low audio noise and reduced RF interference, while providing high light load efficiency. Spread Spectrum Operation Switching regulators can be particularily troublesome in applications where electromagnetic interference (EMI) is a concern. Switching regulators operate on a cycle-bycycle basis to transfer power to an output. In most cases, the frequency of operation is either fixed or is a constant based on the output load. This method of conversion creates large components of noise at the frequency of operation (fundamental) and multiples of the operating frequency (harmonics). Figures 1a and 1b depict the output noise spectrum of a conventional buck switching converter (1/2 of LTC3736-1 with spread spectrum operation disabled) with VIN = 5V, VOUT = 2.5V and IOUT = 2A. Unlike conventional buck converters, the LTC3736-1’s internal oscillator is designed to produce a clock pulse whose frequency is randomly varied between 450kHz and 580kHz. This has the benefit of spreading the switching noise over a range of frequencies, thus significantly reducing the peak noise. Figures 1c and 1d show the output noise spectrum of the LTC3736-1 (with spread spectrum 37361f 10 LTC3736-1 U OPERATIO (Refer to Functional Diagram) operation enabled) with VIN = 5V, VOUT = 2.5V and IOUT = 1A. Note the significant reduction in peak output noise (>20dBm). Short-Circuit Protection When an output is shorted to ground (VFB < 0.12V), the switching frequency of that controller is reduced to 1/5 of the normal operating frequency. The other controller is unaffected and maintains normal operation. The short-circuit threshold on VFB2 is based on the smaller of 0.12V and a fraction of the voltage on the TRACK pin. This also allows VOUT2 to start up and track VOUT1 more easily. Note that if V OUT1 is truly short-circuited (VOUT1 = VFB1 = 0V), then the LTC3736-1 will try to regulate VOUT2 to 0V if a resistor divider on VOUT1 is connected to the TRACK pin. –10 As a further protection, the overvoltage comparator (OV) guards against transient overshoots, as well as other more serious conditions that may overvoltage the output. When the feedback voltage on the VFB pin has risen 13.33% above the reference voltage of 0.6V, the external P-channel MOSFET is turned off and the N-channel MOSFET is turned on until the overvoltage is cleared. Frequency Selection (FREQ Pin) (Spread Spectrum Operation Disabled) The switching frequency of the LTC3736-1 can be selected using the FREQ pin when spread spectrum operation is disabled (SSDIS = VIN). –10 RBW = 3kHz –20 –20 –30 –30 –40 –40 AMPLITUDE (dBm) AMPLITUDE (dBm) Output Overvoltage Protection –50 –60 –70 –80 –50 –60 –70 –80 –90 –90 –100 –100 –110 0 6M 12M 18M FREQUENCY (Hz) 24M 30M RBW = 30Hz –110 410k 450k 490k 530k FREQUENCY (Hz) 570k 37361 F01b 37361 F01a Figure 1a. Output Noise Spectrum of Conventional Buck Switching Converter (LTC3736-1 with Spread Spectrum Disabled) Showing Fundamental and Harmonic Frequencies –10 –10 –20 –30 –30 –40 –40 AMPLITUDE (dBm) AMPLITUDE (dBm) Figure 1b. Zoom-In of Fundamental Frequency of Conventional Buck Switching Converter RBW = 3kHz –20 –50 –60 –70 –80 –60 –70 –80 –90 –90 –100 0 6M 12M 18M FREQUENCY (Hz) 24M 30M 37361 F01c Figure 1c. Output Noise Spectrum of the LTC3736-1 Spread Spectrum Buck Switching Converter. Note the Reduction in Fundamental and Harmonic Peak Spectral Amplitude Compared to Figure 1a. RBW = 30Hz –50 –100 –110 610k –110 410k 450k 490k 530k FREQUENCY (Hz) 570k 610k 37361 F01d Figure 1d. Zoom-In of Fundamental Frequency of the LTC3736-1 Spread Spectrum Switching Converter. Note the >20dB Reduction in Peak Amplitude and Spreading of the Frequency Spectrum (Between Approximately 450kHz and 580kHz) Compared to Figure 1b. 37361f 11 (Refer to Functional Diagram) The FREQ pin can be floated, tied to VIN or tied to SGND to select 550kHz, 750kHz or 300kHz respectively. The selection of switching frequency is a tradeoff between efficiency and component size. Low frequency operation increases efficiency by reducing MOSFET switching losses, but requires larger inductance and/or capacitance to maintain low output ripple voltage. Dropout Operation When the input supply voltage (VIN) decreases towards the output voltage, the rate of change of the inductor current while the external P-channel MOSFET is on (ON cycle) decreases. This reduction means that the P-channel MOSFET will remain on for more than one oscillator cycle if the inductor current has not ramped up to the threshold set by the EAMP on the ITH pin. Further reduction in the input supply voltage will eventually cause the P-channel MOSFET to be turned on 100%; i.e., DC. The output voltage will then be determined by the input voltage minus the voltage drop across the P-channel MOSFET and the inductor. maximum sense voltage allowed across the external P-channel MOSFET is 125mV, 85mV or 204mV for the three respective states of the IPRG pin. The peak sense voltages for the two controllers can be independently selected by the IPRG1 and IPRG2 pins. However, once the controller’s duty cycle exceeds 20%, slope compensation begins and effectively reduces the peak sense voltage by a scale factor given by the curve in Figure 2. 110 100 90 80 SF = I/IMAX (%) LTC3736-1 U OPERATIO 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 DUTY CYCLE (%) 37361 F02 Undervoltage Lockout To prevent operation of the external MOSFETs below safe input voltage levels, an undervoltage lockout is incorporated in the LTC3736-1. When the input supply voltage (VIN) drops below 2.3V, the external P- and N-channel MOSFETs and all internal circuitry are turned off except for the undervoltage block, which draws only a few microamperes. Peak Current Sense Voltage Selection and Slope Compensation (IPRG1 and IPRG2 Pins) When a controller is operating below 20% duty cycle, the peak current sense voltage (between the SENSE+ and SW pins) allowed across the external P-channel MOSFET is determined by: ∆VSENSE(MAX) = A( VITH – 0.7 V ) 10 where A is a constant determined by the state of the IPRG pins. Floating the IPRG pin selects A = 1; tying IPRG to VIN selects A = 5/3; tying IPRG to SGND selects A = 2/3. The maximum value of VITH is typically about 1.98V, so the Figure 2. Maximum Peak Current vs Duty Cycle The peak inductor current is determined by the peak sense voltage and the on-resistance of the external P-channel MOSFET: IPK = ∆VSENSE(MAX) RDS(ON) Power Good (PGOOD) Pin A window comparator monitors both feedback voltages and the open-drain PGOOD output pin is pulled low when either or both feedback voltages are not within ±10% of the 0.6V reference voltage. PGOOD is low when the LTC3736-1 is shut down or in undervoltage lockout. 2-Phase Operation Why the need for 2-phase operation? Until recently, constant frequency dual switching regulators operated both controllers in phase (i.e., single phase operation). This means that both topside MOSFETs (P-channel) are turned 37361f 12 LTC3736-1 U OPERATIO (Refer to Functional Diagram) on at the same time, causing current pulses of up to twice the amplitude of those from a single regulator to be drawn from the input capacitor. These large amplitude pulses increase the total RMS current flowing in the input capacitor, requiring the use of larger and more expensive input capacitors, and increase both EMI and power losses in the input capacitor and input power supply. With 2-phase operation, the two controllers of the LTC3736-1 are operated 180 degrees out of phase. This effectively interleaves the current pulses coming from the topside MOSFET switches, greatly reducing the time where they overlap and add together. The result is a significant reduction in the total RMS current, which in turn allows the use of smaller, less expensive input capacitors, reduces shielding requirements for EMI and improves real world operating efficiency. Figure 3 shows qualitatively example waveforms for a single phase dual controller versus a 2-phase LTC3736-1 system. In this case, 2.5V and 1.8V outputs, each drawing a load current of 2A, are derived from a 7V (e.g., a 2-cell Li-Ion battery) input supply. In this example, 2-phase Single Phase Dual Controller operation would reduce the RMS input capacitor current from 1.79ARMS to 0.91ARMS. While this is an impressive reduction by itself, remember that power losses are proportional to IRMS2, meaning that actual power wasted is reduced by a factor of 3.86. The reduced input ripple current also means that less power is lost in the input power path, which could include batteries, switches, trace/connector resistances, and protection circuitry. Improvements in both conducted and radiated EMI also directly accrue as a result of the reduced RMS input current and voltage. Significant cost and board footprint savings are also realized by being able to use smaller, less expensive, lower RMS current-rated input capacitors. Of course, the improvement afforded by 2-phase operation is a function of the relative duty cycles of the two controllers, which in turn are dependent upon the input supply voltage. Figure 4 depicts how the RMS input current varies for single phase and 2-phase dual controllers with 2.5V and 1.8V outputs over a wide input voltage range. It can be readily seen that the advantages of 2-phase operation are not limited to a narrow operating range, but in fact extend over a wide region. A good rule of thumb for most applications is that 2-phase operation will reduce the input capacitor requirement to that for just one channel operating at maximum current and 50% duty cycle. 2-Phase Dual Controller SW1 (V) SW2 (V) 2.0 INPUT CAPACITOR RMS CURRENT 1.8 IL1 IL2 SINGLE PHASE DUAL CONTROLLER 1.6 1.4 2-PHASE DUAL CONTROLLER 1.2 1.0 0.8 0.6 0.4 VOUT1 = 2.5V/2A VOUT2 = 1.8V/2A 0.2 0 IIN 2 37361 F03 3 4 8 6 5 7 INPUT VOLTAGE (V) 9 10 37361 F04 Figure 4. RMS Input Current Comparison Figure 3. Example Waveforms for a Single Phase Dual Controller vs the 2-Phase LTC3736-1 37361f 13 LTC3736-1 U W U U APPLICATIO S I FOR ATIO The typical LTC3736-1 application circuit is shown in Figure 13. External component selection for each of the LTC3736-1’s controllers is driven by the load requirement and begins with the selection of the inductor (L) and the power MOSFETs (MP and MN). Power MOSFET Selection Each of the LTC3736-1’s two controllers requires two external power MOSFETs: a P-channel MOSFET for the topside (main) switch and an N-channel MOSFET for the bottom (synchronous) switch. Important parameters for the power MOSFETs are the breakdown voltage VBR(DSS), threshold voltage VGS(TH), on-resistance RDS(ON), reverse transfer capacitance CRSS, turn-off delay tD(OFF) and the total gate charge QG. The gate drive voltage is the input supply voltage. Since the LTC3736-1 is designed for operation down to low input voltages, a sublogic level MOSFET (RDS(ON) guaranteed at VGS = 2.5V) is required for applications that work close to this voltage. When these MOSFETs are used, make sure that the input supply to the LTC3736-1 is less than the absolute maximum MOSFET V GS rating, which is typically 8V. The P-channel MOSFET’s on-resistance is chosen based on the required load current. The maximum average output load current IOUT(MAX) is equal to the peak inductor current minus half the peak-to-peak ripple current IRIPPLE. The LTC3736-1’s current comparator monitors the drainto-source voltage VDS of the P-channel MOSFET, which is sensed between the SENSE+ and SW pins. The peak inductor current is limited by the current threshold, set by the voltage on the ITH pin of the current comparator. The voltage on the ITH pin is internally clamped, which limits the maximum current sense threshold ∆VSENSE(MAX) to approximately 125mV when IPRG is floating (85mV when IPRG is tied low; 204mV when IPRG is tied high). The output current that the LTC3736-1 can provide is given by: IOUT(MAX) = ∆VSENSE(MAX) IRIPPLE – RDS(ON) 2 A reasonable starting point is setting ripple current IRIPPLE to be 40% of IOUT(MAX). Rearranging the above equation yields: RDS(ON)(MAX) = 5 ∆VSENSE(MAX) • 6 IOUT(MAX) for Duty Cycle < 20%. However, for operation above 20% duty cycle, slope compensation has to be taken into consideration to select the appropriate value of RDS(ON) to provide the required amount of load current: RDS(ON)(MAX) = ∆VSENSE(MAX) 5 • SF • 6 IOUT(MAX) where SF is a scale factor whose value is obtained from the curve in Figure 1. These must be further derated to take into account the significant variation in on-resistance with temperature. The following equation is a good guide for determining the required RDS(ON)MAX at 25°C (manufacturer’s specification), allowing some margin for variations in the LTC3736-1 and external component values: RDS(ON)(MAX) = ∆VSENSE(MAX) 5 • 0.9 • SF • 6 IOUT(MAX) • ρT The ρT is a normalizing term accounting for the temperature variation in on-resistance, which is typically about 0.4%/°C, as shown in Figure 5. Junction to case temperature TJC is about 10°C in most applications. For a maximum ambient temperature of 70°C, using ρ80°C ~ 1.3 in the above equation is a reasonable choice. The power dissipated in the top and bottom MOSFETs strongly depends on their respective duty cycles and load current. When the LTC3736-1 is operating in continuous mode, the duty cycles for the MOSFETs are: VOUT VIN V –V BottomN− ChannelDuty Cycle = IN OUT VIN Top P − ChannelDuty Cycle = 37361f 14 LTC3736-1 U W U U APPLICATIO S I FOR ATIO less than 25nC to 30nC (at 4.5VGS) and a turn-off delay (tD(OFF)) of less than approximately 140ns. However, due to differences in test and specification methods of various MOSFET manufacturers, and in the variations in QG and tD(OFF) with gate drive (VIN) voltage, the P-channel MOSFET ultimately should be evaluated in the actual LTC3736-1 application circuit to ensure proper operation. ρT NORMALIZED ON RESISTANCE 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 0 – 50 50 100 0 JUNCTION TEMPERATURE (°C) 150 37361 F05 Figure 5. RDS(ON) vs Temperature The MOSFET power dissipations at maximum output current are: PTOP V = OUT • IOUT (MAX)2 • ρT • RDS(ON) + 2 • VIN2 VIN • IOUT (MAX) • C RSS • fOSC PBOT = VIN – VOUT • IOUT (MAX)2 • ρT • RDS(ON) VIN Both MOSFETs have I2R losses and the PTOP equation includes an additional term for transition losses, which are largest at high input voltages. The bottom MOSFET losses are greatest at high input voltage or during a short circuit when the bottom duty cycle is nearly 100%. The LTC3736-1 utilizes a nonoverlapping, antishootthrough gate drive control scheme to ensure that the Pand N-channel MOSFETs are not turned on at the same time. To function properly, the control scheme requires that the MOSFETs used are intended for DC/DC switching applications. Many power MOSFETs, particularly P-channel MOSFETs, are intended to be used as static switches and therefore are slow to turn on or off. Reasonable starting criteria for selecting the P-channel MOSFET are that it must typically have a gate charge (QG) Shoot-through between the P-channel and N-channel MOSFETs can most easily be spotted by monitoring the input supply current. As the input supply voltage increases, if the input supply current increases dramatically, then the likely cause is shoot-through. Note that some MOSFETs that do not work well at high input voltages (e.g., VIN > 5V) may work fine at lower voltages (e.g., 3.3V). Table 1 shows a selection of P-channel MOSFETs from different manufacturers that are known to work well in LTC3736-1 applications. Selecting the N-channel MOSFET is typically easier, since for a given RDS(ON), the gate charge and turn-on and turnoff delays are much smaller than for a P-channel MOSFET. Table 1. Selected P-Channel MOSFETs Suitable for LTC3736-1 Applications PART NUMBER MANUFACTURER TYPE PACKAGE Si7540DP Siliconix Complementary P/N PowerPak SO-8 Si9801DY Siliconix Complementary P/N SO-8 FDW2520C Fairchild Complementary P/N TSSOP-8 FDW2521C Fairchild Complementary P/N TSSOP-8 Si3447BDV Siliconix Single P TSOP-6 Si9803DY Siliconix Single P SO-8 FDC602P Fairchild Single P TSOP-6 FDC606P Fairchild Single P TSOP-6 FDC638P Fairchild Single P TSOP-6 FDW2502P Fairchild Dual P TSSOP-8 FDS6875 Fairchild Dual P SO-8 HAT1054R Hitachi Dual P SO-8 On Semi Dual P SO-8 NTMD6P02R2-D 37361f 15 LTC3736-1 U W U U APPLICATIO S I FOR ATIO Operating Frequency Inductor Value Calculation When spread spectrum operation is enabled (SSDIS = GND), the frequency of the LTC3736-1 is randomly varied over the range of frequencies between 450kHz and 580kHz. In this case, a capacitor (1nF to 4.7nF) should be connected between the FREQ pin and SGND (or VIN) to smooth out the changes in frequency. This not only provides a smoother frequency spectrum but also ensures that the switching regulator remains stable by preventing abrupt changes in frequency. A value of 2200pF is suitable in most applications. Given the desired input and output voltages, the inductor value and operating frequency fOSC directly determine the inductor’s peak-to-peak ripple current: When the spread spectrum operation is disabled (SSDIS = VIN), the LTC3736-1’s frequency may be selected from among three discrete, constant frequencies using the FREQ pin. Floating the FREQ pin selects 550kHz operation; tying this pin to VIN selects 750kHz, while tying this pin to GND selects 300kHz. Table 2 summarizes the different states in which the FREQ pin can be used. IRIPPLE = VOUT ⎛ VIN – VOUT ⎞ ⎜ ⎟ VIN ⎝ fOSC • L ⎠ Lower ripple current reduces core losses in the inductor, ESR losses in the output capacitors, and output voltage ripple. Thus, highest efficiency operation is obtained at low frequency with a small ripple current. Achieving this, however, requires a large inductor. A reasonable starting point is to choose a ripple current that is about 40% of IOUT(MAX). Note that the largest ripple current occurs at the highest input voltage. To guarantee that ripple current does not exceed a specified maximum, the inductor should be chosen according to: Table 2 FREQ PIN SSDIS PIN FREQUENCY 0V VIN 300kHz Floating VIN 550kHz L≥ Inductor Core Selection VIN VIN 750kHz Capacitor to GND or VIN GND Spread Spectrum (450kHz to 580kHz) Note that when spread spectrum operation is disabled, the LTC3736-1 operates like the standard, constant frequency LTC3736, except that at light loads, the LTC3736-1 operates in pulse skipping mode. This mode is not available on the LTC3736 unless the device is synchronized to an external clock signal using its phase-locked loop (PLL). Thus, if an LTC3736 with pulse skipping function is needed, then the LTC3736-1 with spread spectrum disabled is the appropriate solution. Table 3 summarizes the key differences in the available features on the LTC3736 and LTC3736-1. Table 3 AVAILABLE FEATURES/OPTIONS LTC3736 LTC3736-1 Selectable Constant Frequency Yes Yes Spread Spectrum No Yes Synchronizable (PLL) Yes No ® Yes No Forced Continuous Mode Yes No When Synchronized Yes Burst Mode Pulse Skipping Mode VIN – VOUT VOUT • fOSC • IRIPPLE VIN Once the inductance value is determined, the type of inductor must be selected. High efficiency converters generally cannot afford the core loss found in low cost powdered iron cores, forcing the use of ferrite, molypermalloy or Kool Mµ® cores. Actual core loss is independent of core size for a fixed inductor value, but it is very dependent on inductance selected. As inductance increases, core losses go down. Unfortunately, increased inductance requires more turns of wire and therefore copper losses will increase. Ferrite designs have very low core loss 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! Burst Mode is a registered trademark of Linear Technology Corporation. Kool Mµ is a registered trademark of Magnetics, Inc. 37361f 16 LTC3736-1 U W U U APPLICATIO S I FOR ATIO Molypermalloy (from Magnetics, Inc.) is a very good, low loss core material for toroids, but it is more expensive than ferrite. A reasonable compromise from the same manufacturer is Kool Mµ. Toroids are very space efficient, especially when you can use several layers of wire. Because they lack a bobbin, mounting is more difficult. However, designs for surface mount are available which do not increase the height significantly. Schottky Diode Selection (Optional) The Schottky diodes D1 and D2 in Figure 15 conduct current during the dead time between the conduction of the power MOSFETs . This prevents the body diode of the bottom N-channel MOSFET from turning on and storing charge during the dead time, which could cost as much as 1% in efficiency. A 1A Schottky diode is generally a good size for most LTC3736-1 applications, since it conducts a relatively small average current. Larger diodes result in additional transition losses due to their larger junction capacitance. This diode may be omitted if the efficiency loss can be tolerated. CIN and COUT Selection The selection of CIN is simplified by the 2-phase architecture and its impact on the worst-case RMS current drawn through the input network (battery/fuse/capacitor). It can be shown that the worst-case capacitor RMS current occurs when only one controller is operating. The controller with the highest (VOUT)(IOUT) product needs to be used in the formula below to determine the maximum RMS capacitor current requirement. Increasing the output current drawn from the other controller will actually decrease the input RMS ripple current from its maximum value. The out-of-phase technique typically reduces the input capacitor’s RMS ripple current by a factor of 30% to 70% when compared to a single phase power supply solution. In continuous mode, the source current of the P-channel MOSFET is a square wave of duty cycle (VOUT)/(VIN). To prevent large voltage transients, a low ESR capacitor sized for the maximum RMS current of one channel must be used. The maximum RMS capacitor current is given by: CIN Re quiredIRMS ≈ 1/ 2 IMAX VOUT )( VIN – VOUT ) ( VIN [ ] 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 capacitor manufacturers’ ripple current ratings are often based on only 2000 hours of life. This makes it advisable to further derate the capacitor, or to choose a capacitor rated at a higher temperature than required. Several capacitors may be paralleled to meet size or height requirements in the design. Due to the high operating frequency of the LTC3736-1, ceramic capacitors can also be used for CIN. Always consult the manufacturer if there is any question. The benefit of the LTC3736-1 2-phase operation can be calculated by using the equation above for the higher power controller and then calculating the loss that would have resulted if both controller channels switched on at the same time. The total RMS power lost is lower when both controllers are operating due to the reduced overlap of current pulses required through the input capacitor’s ESR. This is why the input capacitor’s requirement calculated above for the worst-case controller is adequate for the dual controller design. Also, the input protection fuse resistance, battery resistance, and PC board trace resistance losses are also reduced due to the reduced peak currents in a 2-phase system. The overall benefit of a multiphase design will only be fully realized when the source impedance of the power supply/battery is included in the efficiency testing. The sources of the P-channel MOSFETs should be placed within 1cm of each other and share a common CIN(s). Separating the sources and CIN may produce undesirable voltage and current resonances at VIN. A small (0.1µF to 1µF) bypass capacitor between the chip VIN pin and ground, placed close to the LTC3736-1, is also suggested. A 10Ω resistor placed between CIN (C1) and the VIN pin provides further isolation between the two channels. The selection of COUT is driven by the effective series resistance (ESR). Typically, once the ESR requirement is satisfied, the capacitance is adequate for filtering. The output ripple (∆VOUT) is approximated by: ⎛ 1 ⎞ ∆VOUT ≈ IRIPPLE ⎜ ESR + ⎟ ⎝ 8 fCOUT ⎠ 37361f 17 LTC3736-1 U W U U APPLICATIO S I FOR ATIO where f is the operating frequency, COUT is the output capacitance and IRIPPLE is the ripple current in the inductor. The output ripple is highest at maximum input voltage since IRIPPLE increases with input voltage. Setting Output Voltage The LTC3736-1 output voltages are each set by an external feedback resistor divider carefully placed across the output, as shown in Figure 6. The regulated output voltage is determined by: ⎛ R ⎞ VOUT = 0.6 V • ⎜ 1 + B ⎟ ⎝ RA ⎠ During soft-start, the start-up of VOUT1 is controlled by slowly ramping the positive reference to the error amplifier from 0V to 0.6V, allowing VOUT1 to rise smoothly from 0V to its final value. The default internal soft-start time is 1ms. This can be increased by placing a capacitor between the RUN/SS pin and SGND. In this case, the soft-start time will be approximately: tSS1 = CSS • To improve the frequency response, a feed-forward capacitor, CFF, may be used. Great care should be taken to route the VFB line away from noise sources, such as the inductor or the SW line. When spread spectrum operation is enabled, it is recommended that RA and RB be largevalued, preferably on the order of hundreds of kilohms. Run/Soft Start Function The RUN/SS pin is a dual purpose pin that provides the optional external soft-start function and a means to shut down the LTC3736-1. Pulling the RUN/SS pin below 0.65V puts the LTC3736-1 into a low quiescent current shutdown mode (IQ = 9µA). If RUN/SS has been pulled all the way to ground, there will be a delay before the LTC3736-1 comes out of shutdown and is given by: tDELAY = 0.65V • allows CSS to ramp up slowly providing the soft-start function. This diode (and capacitor) can be deleted if the external soft-start is not needed. C SS = 0.93 s/µF • C SS 0.7µA This pin can be driven directly from logic as shown in Figure 6. Diode D1 in Figure 7 reduces the start delay but 600mV 0.7µA It is recommended that CSS have a value of at least twice that of the frequency filtering capacitor connected to the FREQ pin when spread sprectrum operation is enabled (see Operation Frequency section). Tracking The start-up of VOUT2 is controlled by the voltage on the TRACK pin. Normally this pin is used to allow the start-up of VOUT2 to track that of VOUT1 as shown qualitatively in Figures 8a and 8b. When the voltage on the TRACK pin is less than the internal 0.6V reference, the LTC3736-1 regulates the VFB2 voltage to the TRACK pin voltage instead of 0.6V. The start-up of VOUT2 may ratiometrically track that of VOUT1, according to a ratio set by a resistor divider (Figure 8c): VOUT1 R2A R + RTRACKB = • TRACKA VOUT2 RTRACKA R2B + R2A For coincident tracking (VOUT1 = VOUT2 during start-up), R2A/R2B = RTRACKA/RTRACKB VOUT 3.3V OR 5V 1/2 LTC3736-1 RB CFF RUN/SS D1 VFB RA CSS CSS 37361 F07 37361 F06 Figure 6. Setting Output Voltage RUN/SS Figure 7. RUN/SS Pin Interfacing 37361f 18 LTC3736-1 U W U U APPLICATIO S I FOR ATIO The ramp time for VOUT2 to rise from 0V to its final value is: tSS2 = tSS1 • RTRACKA R1A + R1B • R1A RTRACKA + RTRACKB For coincident tracking, tSS2 = tSS1 • VOUT2F VOUT1F where VOUT1F and VOUT2F are the final, regulated values of VOUT1 and VOUT2. VOUT1 should always be greater than VOUT1 R1B VOUT2 LTC3736-1 VFB1 R2B VFB2 R1A R2A RTRACKB TRACK 37361 F08a RTRACKA Figure 8a. Using the TRACK Pin OUTPUT VOLTAGE VOUT1 VOUT2 when using the TRACK pin. If no tracking function is desired, then the TRACK pin may be tied to VIN. However, in this situation there would be no (internal nor external) soft-start on VOUT2. When using tracking with spread spectrum operation enabled, the tracking resistors RTRACKA and RTRACKB should have value at least 10 times smaller than corresponding feedback resistors R2A and R2B. Fault Condition: Short Circuit and Current Limit To prevent excessive heating of the bottom MOSFET, foldback current limiting can be added to reduce the current in proportion to the severity of the fault. Foldback current limiting is implemented by adding diodes DFB1 and DFB2 between the output and the ITH pin as shown in Figure 9. In a hard short (VOUT = 0V), the current will be reduced to approximately 50% of the maximum output current. Low Supply Operation Although the LTC3736-1 can function down to below 2.4V, the maximum allowable output current is reduced as VIN decreases below 3V. Figure 10 shows the amount of VOUT 1/2 LTC3736-1 ITH VOUT2 R2 + DFB1 VFB R1 DFB2 37361 F09 Figure 9. Foldback Current Limiting TIME (8b) Coincident Tracking OUTPUT VOLTAGE VOUT1 VOUT2 TIME 37361 F08b,c (8c) Ratiometric Tracking NORMALIZED VOLTAGE OR CURRENT (%) 105 100 95 VREF MAXIMUM SENSE VOLTAGE 90 85 80 75 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 3.0 INPUT VOLTAGE (V) 37361 F10 Figures 8b and 8c. Two Different Modes of Output Voltage Tracking Figure 10. Line Regulation of VREF and Maximum Sense Voltage for Low Input Supply 37361f 19 LTC3736-1 U W U U APPLICATIO S I FOR ATIO change as the supply is reduced down to 2.4V. Also shown is the effect on VREF. Minimum On-Time Considerations Minimum on-time, tON(MIN), is the smallest amount of time in which the LTC3736-1 is capable of turning the top P-channel MOSFET on and then off. It is determined by internal timing delays and the gate charge required to turn on the top MOSFET. Low duty cycle and high frequency applications may approach the minimum on-time limit and care should be taken to ensure that: tON(MIN) < VOUT fOSC • VIN If the duty cycle falls below what can be accommodated by the minimum on-time, the LTC3736-1 will begin to skip cycles. The output voltage will continue to be regulated, but the ripple current and ripple voltage will increase. The minimum on-time for the LTC3736-1 is typically about 250ns. However, as the peak sense voltage (IL(PEAK) • RDS(ON)) decreases, the minimum on-time gradually increases up to about 300ns. 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 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, five main sources usually account for most of the losses in LTC3736-1 circuits: 1) LTC3736-1 DC bias current, 2) MOSFET gate charge current, 3) I2R losses, and 4) transition losses. 1) The VIN (pin) current is the DC supply current, given in the electrical characteristics, excluding MOSFET driver currents. VIN current results in a small loss that increases with VIN. 2) MOSFET gate charge 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 SENSE+ to ground. The resulting dQ/dt is a current out of SENSE+, which is typically much larger than the DC supply current. In continuous mode, IGATECHG = f • QP. 3) I2R losses are calculated from the DC resistances of the MOSFETs and inductor. In continuous mode, the average output current flows through L but is “chopped” between the top P-channel MOSFET and the bottom N-channel MOSFET. The MOSFET RDS(ON)s multiplied by duty cycle can be summed with the resistance of L to obtain I2R losses. 4) Transition losses apply to the top external P-channel MOSFET and increase with higher operating frequencies and input voltages. Transition losses can be estimated from: Transition Loss = 2 (VIN)2IO(MAX)CRSS(f) Other losses, including CIN and COUT ESR dissipative losses and inductor core losses, generally account for less than 2% total additional loss. 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 (∆ILOAD)(ESR), where ESR is the effective series resistance of COUT. ∆ILOAD also begins to charge or discharge COUT, which generates a feedback error signal. The regulator loop then returns VOUT to its steady-state value. During this recovery time, VOUT can be monitored for overshoot or ringing. OPTI-LOOP compensation allows the transient response to be optimized over a wide range of output capacitance and ESR values. The ITH series RC-CC filter (see Functional Diagram) sets the dominant pole-zero loop compensation. The ITH external components shown in the Typical Application on the front page of this data sheet will provide an adequate starting point for most applications. The values can be 37361f 20 LTC3736-1 U W U U APPLICATIO S I FOR ATIO deliver enough current to prevent this problem if the load switch resistance is low and it is driven quickly. The only solution is to limit the rise time of the switch drive so that the load rise time is limited to approximately (25)(CLOAD). Thus a 10µF capacitor would require a 250µs rise time, limiting the charging current to about 200mA. modified slightly (from 0.2 to 5 times their suggested values) to optimize transient response once the final PC layout is done and the particular output capacitor type and value have been determined. The output capacitors need to be decided upon 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. The gain of the loop will be increased by increasing RC, and the bandwidth of the loop will be increased by decreasing CC. 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 Application Note 76. PC Board Layout Checklist When laying out the printed circuit board, the following checklist should be used to ensure proper operation of the LTC3736-1. These items are illustrated in the layout diagram of Figure 11. Figure 12 depicts the current waveforms present in the various branches of the 2-phase dual regulator. 1) The power loop (input capacitor, MOSFETs, inductor, output capacitor) of each channel should be as small as possible and isolated as much as possible from the power loop of the other channel. Ideally, the drains of the P- and N-channel FETs should be connected close to one another with an input capacitor placed across the FET sources (from the P-channel source to the N-channel source) right COUT1 + A second, more severe transient is caused by switching in loads with large (>1µF) supply bypass capacitors. The discharged bypass capacitors are effectively put in parallel with COUT, causing a rapid drop in VOUT. No regulator can L1 LTC3736EGN-1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 SW1 IPRG1 24 SENSE1+ PGND VFB1 BG1 ITH1 SSDIS IPRG2 FREQ SGND VIN TRACK TG1 PGND TG2 RUN/SS BG2 VFB2 PGND ITH2 SENSE2+ PGOOD VOUT1 SW2 23 22 MN1 CVIN1 21 MP1 20 CVIN 19 VIN 18 CVIN2 17 16 MN2 MP2 15 14 13 L2 + COUT2 VOUT2 37361 F11 BOLD LINES INDICATE HIGH CURRENT PATHS Figure 11. LTC3736-1 Layout Diagram 37361f 21 LTC3736-1 U W U U APPLICATIO S I FOR ATIO at the FETs. It is better to have two separate, smaller valued input capacitors (e.g., two 10µF—one for each channel) than it is to have a single larger valued capacitor (e.g., 22µF) that the channels share with a common connection. 2) The signal and power grounds should be kept separate. The signal ground consists of the feedback resistor dividers, ITH compensation networks and the SGND pin. The power grounds consist of the (–) terminal of the input and output capacitors and the source of the N-channel MOSFET. Each channel should have its own power ground for its power loop (as described in (1) above). The power grounds for the two channels should connect together at a common point. It is most important to keep the ground paths with high switching currents away from each other. MP1 The PGND pins on the LTC3736-1 IC should be shorted together and connected to the common power ground connection (away from the switching currents). 3) Put the feedback resistors close to the VFB pins. The trace connecting the top feedback resistor (RB) to the output capacitor should be a Kelvin trace. The ITH compensation components should also be very close to the LTC3736-1. 4) The current sense traces (SENSE+ and SW) should be Kelvin connections right at the P-channel MOSFET source and drain. 5) Keep the switch nodes (SW1, SW2) and the gate driver nodes (TG1, TG2, BG1, BG2) away from the small-signal components, especially the opposite channels feedback resistors, ITH compensation components and the current sense pins (SENSE+ and SW). L1 VOUT1 COUT1 MN1 + RL1 VIN RIN CIN + MP2 L2 MN2 VOUT2 COUT2 BOLD LINES INDICATE HIGH, SWITCHING CURRENT LINES. KEEP LINES TO A MINIMUM LENGTH + RL2 37361 F12 Figure 12. Branch Current Waveforms 37361f 22 LTC3736-1 U TYPICAL APPLICATIO S RFB1B 562k CITH1A 100pF CITH1 220pF RITH1 15k 2200pF VIN 5V CIN 10µF ×2 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 RVIN 10Ω 5 CITH2 CVIN 220pF 1µF RITH2 15k CSS 10nF CITH2B 100pF RFB2A 453k 9 7 8 6 + 21 SW1 IPRG1 VFB1 ITH1 IPRG2 FREQ SENSE1 PGND BG1 SSDIS TG1 PGND SGND TG2 VIN RUN/SS LTC3736EUF-1 BG2 PGND PGOOD SENSE2+ VFB2 ITH2 TRACK SW2 PGND L1 1.5µH MP1 20 19 18 17 16 MN1 Si7540DP VOUT1 2.5V 5A + COUT1 150µF 15 14 13 12 11 MN2 Si7540DP MP2 10 + RFB1A 178k L2 1.5µH COUT2 150µF V OUT2 1.8V 5A 25 RTRACKA 590Ω RFB2B RTRACKB 909k 1.18k 37361 F13 L1, L2: VISHAY IHLP-2525CZ-01 COUT1, COUT2: SANYO 4TPB150MC Figure 13. 2-Phase, Spread Spectrum, Dual Output Synchronous DC/DC Converter 37361f 23 LTC3736-1 U TYPICAL APPLICATIO S 68pF RFB1A 59k RFB1B 187k CITH1A 47pF 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 CITH1 470pF RITH1 22k 2200pF VIN 3.3V RVIN 10Ω 5 CIN 22µF 9 7 8 6 CITH2 CVIN 470pF 1µF RITH2 22k SENSE1+ PGND BG1 SSDIS TG1 PGND 15 TG2 14 VIN RUN/SS LTC3736EUF-1 13 BG2 12 PGND PGOOD + 11 SENSE2 VFB2 ITH2 10 TRACK SW2 PGND SW1 IPRG1 VFB1 ITH1 IPRG2 FREQ SGND CSS 10nF CITH2A 47pF RFB2A 59k L1 1.5µH MP1 21 20 19 18 17 16 MN1 Si7540DP COUT1 100µF COUT2 100µF MN2 Si7540DP MP2 VOUT1 2.5V 2A VOUT2 1.8V 2A L2 1.5µH 25 RTRACKA 590Ω RFB2B 118k RTRACKB 1.18k 100pF 37361 F14 L1, L2: VISHAY IHLP-2525CZ-01 COUT1, COUT2: MURATA GRM32EROJ107M Figure 14. 2-Phase, Spread Spectrum, Dual Output Synchronous DC/DC Converter with Ceramic Output Capacitors Efficiency vs Load Current Load Step Load Step 100 90 80 EFFICIENCY (%) 70 VOUT AC-COUPLED 100mV/DIV VOUT AC-COUPLED 50mV/DIV IL 1A/DIV IL 1A/DIV 60 50 40 30 20 VOUT = 2.5V VOUT = 1.8V 10 0 1 100 1000 10 LOAD CURRENT (mA) 100µs/DIV VOUT = 2.5V ILOAD = 100mA TO 1A 37361 F14c 100µs/DIV VOUT = 1.8V ILOAD = 100mA TO 1A 37361 F14d 10000 37361 F14b 37361f 24 LTC3736-1 U TYPICAL APPLICATIO S CFF1 100pF RFB1B 187k CITH1 220pF RITH1 15k 2200pF VIN 3.3V RVIN 10Ω CIN 22µF CITH2 CVIN 220pF 1µF RITH2 15k RFB2A 59k RTRACKA 590Ω 4.7nF SSDIS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 + 24 SW1 SENSE1 IPRG1 PGND BG1 VFB1 SSDIS ITH1 TG1 IPRG2 PGND FREQ TG2 SGND LTC3736EGN-1 5 VIN RUN/SS MP1 23 22 21 20 19 18 SW1 L1 1.5µH MN1 Si7540DP D1 MN2 Si7540DP D2 + COUT1 150µF 17 16 BG2 12 15 PGND PGOOD 10 14 SENSE2+ VFB2 11 ITH2 13 9 TRACK SW2 MP2 SW2 L2 1.5µH RFB2B RTRACKB 118k 1.18k CFF1 100pF VOUT1 2.5V 3A + RFB1A 59k COUT2 150µF V OUT2 1.8V 4A 37361 F15 COUT1, COUT2: SANYO 4TPB150MC L1, L2: VISHAY IHLP-2525CZ-01 D1, D2: OPTIONAL SCHOTTKY DIODE Figure 15. 2-Phase, Fixed 550kHz or Spread Spectrum, Dual Output Synchronous DC/DC Converter 37361f 25 LTC3736-1 U PACKAGE DESCRIPTIO UF Package 24-Lead Plastic QFN (4mm × 4mm) (Reference LTC DWG # 05-08-1697) 0.70 ±0.05 4.50 ± 0.05 2.45 ± 0.05 3.10 ± 0.05 (4 SIDES) PACKAGE OUTLINE 0.25 ±0.05 0.50 BSC RECOMMENDED SOLDER PAD PITCH AND DIMENSIONS 4.00 ± 0.10 (4 SIDES) BOTTOM VIEW—EXPOSED PAD 0.23 TYP R = 0.115 (4 SIDES) TYP 23 24 0.75 ± 0.05 PIN 1 TOP MARK (NOTE 6) 0.38 ± 0.10 1 2 2.45 ± 0.10 (4-SIDES) (UF24) QFN 1103 0.200 REF 0.00 – 0.05 0.25 ± 0.05 0.50 BSC NOTE: 1. DRAWING PROPOSED TO BE MADE A JEDEC PACKAGE OUTLINE MO-220 VARIATION (WGGD-X)—TO BE APPROVED 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, IF PRESENT 5. EXPOSED PAD SHALL BE SOLDER PLATED 6. SHADED AREA IS ONLY A REFERENCE FOR PIN 1 LOCATION ON THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF PACKAGE 37361f 26 LTC3736-1 U PACKAGE DESCRIPTIO GN Package 24-Lead Plastic SSOP (Narrow .150 Inch) (Reference LTC DWG # 05-08-1641) .337 – .344* (8.560 – 8.738) 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 1413 .033 (0.838) REF .045 ±.005 .229 – .244 (5.817 – 6.198) .254 MIN .150 – .157** (3.810 – 3.988) .150 – .165 1 .0165 ± .0015 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 .0250 BSC RECOMMENDED SOLDER PAD LAYOUT .015 ± .004 × 45° (0.38 ± 0.10) .0075 – .0098 (0.19 – 0.25) .0532 – .0688 (1.35 – 1.75) .004 – .0098 (0.102 – 0.249) 0° – 8° TYP .016 – .050 (0.406 – 1.270) NOTE: 1. CONTROLLING DIMENSION: INCHES INCHES 2. DIMENSIONS ARE IN (MILLIMETERS) .008 – .012 (0.203 – 0.305) TYP .0250 (0.635) BSC GN24 (SSOP) 0204 3. DRAWING NOT TO SCALE *DIMENSION DOES NOT INCLUDE MOLD FLASH. MOLD FLASH SHALL NOT EXCEED 0.006" (0.152mm) PER SIDE **DIMENSION DOES NOT INCLUDE INTERLEAD FLASH. INTERLEAD FLASH SHALL NOT EXCEED 0.010" (0.254mm) PER SIDE 37361f 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. 27 LTC3736-1 U TYPICAL APPLICATIO 2-Phase, Spread Spectrum Dual Output, Synchronous DC/DC Converter RFB1A 59k RFB1B 187k CITH1A 100pF 2200pF VIN 5V CIN 10µF ×2 4 RVIN 10Ω 5 CITH2 CVIN 220pF 1µF RITH2 15k 9 7 8 6 SW1 IPRG1 VFB1 ITH1 IPRG2 FREQ PGND BG1 SSDIS TG1 PGND SGND TG2 VIN RUN/SS LTC3736EUF-1 BG2 PGND PGOOD SENSE2+ VFB2 ITH2 TRACK SW2 PGND CSS 10nF CITH2B 100pF RFB2A 59k 21 SENSE1+ L1 1.5µH MP1 20 19 18 17 16 VOUT1 2.5V 2A + MN1 COUT1 150µF 15 14 13 12 11 MN2 + CITH1 220pF RITH1 15k 22 23 24 1 2 3 MP2 10 L2 1.5µH COUT2 150µF V OUT2 1.8V 2A 25 RTRACKA 590Ω RFB2B RTRACKB 118k 1.18k 37361 TA02 MP1, MP2: FDC638P MN1, MN2: FDC637N L1, L2: VISHAY IHLP-2525CZ-01 COUT1, COUT2: SANYO 4TPB150MC RELATED PARTS PART NUMBER LTC1628/ LTC1628-PG LTC1735 DESCRIPTION Dual High Efficiency, 2-Phase Synchronous Step-Down Controllers High Efficiency Synchronous Step-Down Controller LTC1772 Constant Frequency Current Mode Step-Down DC/DC Controller Synchronous Step-Down Controller No RSENSETM Synchronous Step-Down Controller LTC1773 LTC1778 LTC2923 LTC3251 Series LTC3252 LTC3416 LTC3701 LTC3708 LTC3728/LTC3728L LTC3736 LTC3737 LTC6902 Power Supply Tracking Controller 500mA High Efficiency, Low Noise, Inductorless Step-Down DC/DC Converters Dual, Low Noise, Inductorless Step-Down DC/DC Converter 4A, 4MHz, Synchronous Step-Down DC/DC Converter with Output Tracking 2-Phase, Low Input Voltage Dual Step-Down DC/DC Controller Fast 2-Phase, No RSENSE Buck Controller with Output Tracking Dual, 550kHz, 2-Phase, Synchronous Step-Down Switching Regulator Dual, 2-Phase, No RSENSE, Synchronous Controller with Output Tracking Dual, 2-Phase, No RSENSE Controller with Output Tracking Multiphase Oscillator with Spread Spectrum Frequency Modulation COMMENTS Constant Frequency, Standby, 5V and 3.3V LDOs, VIN to 36V, 28-Lead SSOP Burst Mode Operation, 16-Pin Narrow SSOP, Fault Protection, 3.5V ≤ VIN ≤ 36V 2.5V ≤ VIN ≤ 9.8V, IOUT Up to 4A, SOT-23 Package, 550kHz 2.65V ≤ VIN ≤ 8.5V, IOUT Up to 4A, 10-Lead MSOP Current Mode Operation Without Sense Resistor, Fast Transient Response, 4V ≤ VIN ≤ 36V Controls Up to Three Supplies, 10-Lead MSOP 2-Phase, Spread Spectrum Operation, 10-Pin MSOP Package Spread Spectrum Operation, 4mm × 3mm 12-Pin DFN Package 95% Efficiency, VIN: 2.25V to 5.5V, ISD = <1µA, TSSOP-20E Package 2.5V ≤ VIN ≤ 9.8V, 550kHz, PGOOD, PLL, 16-Lead SSOP Constant On-Time Dual Controller, VIN Up to 36V, Very Low Duty Cycle Operation, 5mm × 5mm QFN Package Constant Frequency, VIN to 36V, 5V and 3.3V LDOs, 5mm × 5mm QFN or 28-Lead SSOP VIN: 2.75V to 9.8V, IOUT Up to 5A, 4mm × 4mm QFN Package VIN: 2.75V to 9.8V, IOUT Up to 5A, 4mm × 4mm QFN Package Resistor Programs Nominal Frequency and Spreading; 2-, 3-, or 4-Phase Outputs; 10-Pin MSOP Package No RSENSE is a trademark of Linear Technology Corporation. 37361f 28 Linear Technology Corporation LT/TP 0804 1K • PRINTED IN USA 1630 McCarthy Blvd., Milpitas, CA 95035-7417 (408) 432-1900 ● FAX: (408) 434-0507 ● www.linear.com © LINEAR TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION 2004