AS2842/3/4/5 Current Mode Controller Features Description • 2.5 V bandgap reference trimmed to 1.0% and temperature-compensated • Extended temperature range from - 40 to 105° C • AS2842/3 oscillations trimmed for precision duty cycle clamp • AS2844/5 have exact 50% max duty cycle clamp The AS2842 family of control ICs provide pin-for-pin replacement of the industry standard UC3842 series of devices. The devices are redesigned to provide significantly improved tolerances in power supply manufacturing. The 2.5 V reference has been trimmed to 1.0% tolerance. The oscillator discharge current is trimmed to provide guaranteed duty cycle clamping rather than specified discharge current. The circuit is more completely specified to guarantee all parameters impacting power supply manufacturing tolerances. • Advanced oscillator design simplifies synchronization • Improved specs on UVLO and hysteresis provide more predictable start-up and shutdown • Improved 5 V regulator provides better AC noise immunity • Guaranteed performance with current sense pulled below ground • Over-temperature shutdown Pin Configuration — In addition, the oscillator and flip-flop sections have been enhanced to provide additional performance. The R T/CT pin now doubles as a synchronization input that can be easily driven from open collector/open drain logic outputs. This sync input is a high impedance input and can easily be used for externally clocked systems. The new flip-flop topology allows the duty cycle on the AS2844/5 to be guaranteed between 49 and 50%. The AS2843/5 requires less than 0.5 mA of start-up current over the full temperature range. Ordering Information Description 8-Pin Plastic DIP 8-Pin Plastic SOIC Temperature Range -40 to 105° C -40 to 105° C Order Codes AS2842/3/4/5N AS2842/3/4/5D-8 Top view PDIP (N) 8L SOIC (D) COMP 1 8 VREG VFB 2 7 VCC OUT ISENSE 3 6 OUT GND RT/CT 4 5 GND COMP 1 8 VREG VFB 2 7 VCC ISENSE 3 6 RT/CT 4 5 ASTEC Semiconductor 37 Current Mode Controller AS2842/3/4/5 Functional Block Diagram (5.0 V) (5.0 V) 5V REGULATOR 1 COMP 8 VREG (2.5 V) REF OK + 2 VFB (4 V) – 2R 7 VCC UVLO ERROR AMP (1.0 V) (4 V) R PWM COMPARATOR FF – S PWM LOGIC + 6 OUT R 3 (5 V) ISENSE (3.0 V) – CLK ÷ 2 [3844/45] + CLK [3842/43] – 4 RT/CT (1.3 V) GND S – (0.6 V) 5 FF + FF R + T OSCILLATOR OVER TEMPERATURE Figure 1. Block Diagram of the AS2842/3/4/5 Pin Function Description Pin Number Function Description 1 COMP This pin is the error amplifier output. Typically used to provide loop compensation to maintain VFB at 2.5 V. 2 VFB 3 ISENSE A voltage proportional to inductor current is connected to the input. The PWM uses this information to terminate the gate drive of the output. 4 RT/CT Oscillator frequency and maximum output duty cycle are set by connecting a resistor (RT) to VREG and a capacitor (CT) to ground. Pulling this pin to ground or to VREG will accomplish a synchronization function. 5 GND Circuit common ground, power ground, and IC substrate. 6 OUT This output is designed to directly drive a power MOSFET switch. This output can sink or source peak currents up to 1A. The output for the AS2844/5 switches at one-half the oscillator frequency. 7 VCC Positive supply voltage for the IC. 8 VREG This 5 V regulated output provides charging current for the capacitor CT through the resistor RT. ASTEC Semiconductor Inverting input of the error amplifier. The non-inverting input is a trimmed 2.5 V bandgap reference. 38 Current Mode Controller AS2842/3/4/5 Absolute Maximum Ratings Parameter Symbol Rating Unit Supply Voltage (ICC < 30 mA) Supply Voltage (Low Impedance Source) Output Current Output Energy (Capacitive Load) Analog Inputs (Pin 2, Pin 3) Error Amp Sink Current Maximum Power Dissipation 8L SOIC 8L PDIP VCC VCC IOUT Self-Limiting 30 ±1 5 – 0.3 to 30 10 V V A µJ V mA 750 1000 mW mW Maximum Junction Temperature Storage Temperature Range Lead Temperature, Soldering 10 Seconds TJ TSTG TL 150 – 65 to 150 300 °C °C °C PD Stresses greater than those listed under ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM RATINGS may cause permanent damage to the device. This is a stress rating only and functional operation of the device at these or any other conditions above indicated in the operational sections of this specification is not implied. Exposure to absolute maximum rating conditions for extended periods may affect reliability. Recommended Conditions Parameter Supply Voltage Symbol ASTEC Semiconductor Unit VCC AS2842,4 AS2843,5 Oscillator Rating Typical Thermal Resistances fOSC 15 10 V V 50 to 500 kHz Package θJA θJC Typical Derating 8L PDIP 95° C/W 50° C/W 10.5 mW/°C 8L SOIC 175° C/W 45° C/W 5.7 mW/°C 39 Current Mode Controller AS2842/3/4/5 Electrical Characteristics Electrical characteristics are guaranteed over full junction temperature range (-40 to 105° C ). Ambient temperature must be derated based on power dissipation and package thermal characteristics. The conditions are: VCC = 15 V, RT = 10 kΩ, and CT = 3.3 nF, unless otherwise stated. To override UVLO, VCC should be raised above 17 V prior to test. Parameter Symbol Test Condition Min Typ Max Unit Output Voltage VREG TJ = 25° C, IREG = 1 mA 4.95 5.00 5.05 V Line Regulation PSRR 12 ≤ VCC ≤ 25 V 2 10 mV 1 ≤ IREG ≤ 20 mA 2 10 mV 0.2 0.4 mV/°C 5.15 V 25 mV 5 V Regulator Load Regulation 1 Temperature Stability TCREG 1 Total Output Variation Line, load, temperature 1 Long-term Stability Output Noise Voltage VNOISE Short Circuit Current ISC 4.85 Over 1,000 hrs at 25° C 5 10 Hz ≤ f ≤ 100 kHz, TJ = 25° C 50 µV 30 100 180 mA 2.475 2.500 2.525 V 2.5 V Internal Reference Nominal Voltage VFB T = 25° C; IREG = 1 mA Line Regulation PSRR 12 V ≤ VCC ≤ 25 V 2 5 mV 1 ≤ IREG ≤ 20 mA 2 5 mV 0.1 0.2 mV/°C 2.500 2.550 V 2 12 mV 52 57 kHz 0.2 1 % Load Regulation 1 Temperature Stability TCVFB 1 Total Output Variation Line, load, temperature 1 Long-term Stability 2.450 Over 1,000 hrs at 125° C Oscillator Initial Accuracy fOSC TJ = 25° C 47 12 V ≤ VCC ≤ 25 V Voltage Stability Temperature Stability TCf TMIN ≤ TJ≤ TMAX Amplitude fOSC VRT/CT peak-to-peak Upper Trip Point 1 5 % 1.6 V VH 2.9 V Lower Trip Point VL 1.3 V Sync Threshold VSYNC 400 600 800 mV Discharge Current ID 7.5 8.7 9.5 mA 46 50 52 % Duty Cycle Limit ASTEC Semiconductor RT = 680 Ω, CT = 5.3 nF, TJ = 25° C 40 Current Mode Controller Electrical Characteristics AS2842/3/4/5 (cont’d) Electrical characteristics are guaranteed over full junction temperature range (-40 to 105° C ). Ambient temperature must be derated based on power dissipation and package thermal characteristics. The conditions are: VCC = 15 V, RT = 10 kΩ, and CT = 3.3 nF, unless otherwise stated. To override UVLO, VCC should be raised above 17 V prior to test. Parameter Symbol Test Condition Min Typ Max Unit 2.475 2.50 2.525 V – 0.1 –1 µA Error Amplifier Input Voltage VFB Input Bias Current IBIAS Voltage Gain AVOL Transconductance TJ = 25° C 2 ≤ VCOMP ≤ 4 V 65 90 dB 1 mA/mV 0.8 1.2 MHz Gm 1 Unity Gain Bandwidth GBW Power Supply Rejection Ratio PSRR 12 ≤ VCC ≤ 25 V 60 70 dB Output Sink Current ICOMPL VFB = 2.7 V, VCOMP = 1.1V 2 6 mA Output Source Current ICOMPH VFB = 2.3 V, VCOMP = 5 V 0.5 0.8 mA Output Swing High VCOMPH VFB = 2.3 V, RL = 15 kΩ to Ground 5 5.5 V Output Swing Low VCOMPL VFB = 2.7 V, RL = 15 kΩ to Pin 8 AVCS –0.2 ≤ VSENSE ≤ 0.8 V VLS VSENSE = 0 V 0.7 1.1 V 3.0 3.15 V/V Current Sense Comparator Transfer Gain2,3 2 ISENSE Level Shift 2 Maximum Input Signal 2.85 1.5 VCOMP = 5 V 0.9 12 ≤ VCC ≤ 25 V 1 V 1.1 Power Supply Rejection Ratio PSRR Input Bias Current IBIAS –1 –10 µA tPD 85 150 ns 1 Propagation Delay to Output 70 V dB Output Output Low Level Output High Level Rise Time Fall Time 1 1 VOL ISINK = 20 mA 0.1 0.4 V VOL ISINK = 200 mA 1.5 2.2 V VOH ISOURCE = 20mA 13 13.5 V VOH ISOURCE = 200mA 12 13.5 V tR CL = 1 nF 50 150 ns tF CL = 1 nF 50 150 ns Housekeeping Start-up Threshold VCC(on) Minimum Operating Voltage VCC(min) After Turn On Output Low Level in UV State Over-Temperature Shutdown ASTEC Semiconductor 4 VOUV 2842/4 15 16 17 V 2843/5 7.8 8.4 9.0 V 2842/4 9 10 11 V 2843/5 7.0 7.6 8.2 V 1.5 2.0 V ISINK = 20 mA, VCC = 6 V TOT 125 41 °C Current Mode Controller AS2842/3/4/5 Electrical Characteristics (cont’d) Electrical characteristics are guaranteed over full junction temperature range (-40 to 105° C ). Ambient temperature must be derated based on power dissipation and package thermal characteristics. The conditions are: VCC = 15 V, RT = 10 kΩ, and CT = 3.3 nF, unless otherwise stated. To override UVLO, VCC should be raised above 17 V prior to test. Parameter Symbol Test Condition Min Typ Max Unit 94 97 100 % 0 % 50 % 0 % 0.5 0.3 1.0 0.5 mA mA 9 17 mA PWM Maximum Duty Cycle Dmax 2842/3 Minimum Duty Cycle Dmin 2842/3 Maximum Duty Cycle Dmax 2844/5 Minimum Duty Cycle Dmin 2844/5 Start-up Current ICC 2842/4, VFB = VSENSE = 0 V, VCC = 14 V 2843/5, VFB = VSENSE = 0 V, VCC = 7 V Operating Supply Current ICC VCC Zener Voltage VZ 49 49.5 Supply Current ICC = 25 mA 30 V Notes: 1. This parameter is not 100% tested in production. 2. Parameter measured at trip point of PWM latch. 3. Transfer gain is the relationship between current sense input and corresponding error amplifier output at the PWM latch trip point and is mathematically expressed as follows: A= ∆ I COMP ∆VSENSE ; − 0.2 ≤ VSENSE ≤ 0.8 V 4. At the over-temperature threshold, TOT, the oscillator is disabled. The 5 V reference and the PWM stages, including the PWM latch, remain powered. ASTEC Semiconductor 42 Current Mode Controller AS2842/3/4/5 Typical Performance Curves Output Voltage vs Supply Voltage 20 20 15 5 0 0 5 10 25 20 15 VCC – Supply Voltage (V) 10 30 AS2843/5 5 AS2842/4 10 15 0 35 0 5 Figure 2 5.02 140 IREG – Regulator Short Circuit (mA) VREG – Regulator Output (V) 180 5.00 4.98 4.96 4.94 4.92 120 0 90 60 30 TA – Ambient Temperature (°C) 30 120 100 80 60 40 –60 150 Figure 4 ASTEC Semiconductor 25 Regulator Short Circuit Current vs Ambient Temperature 5.04 –30 10 15 20 VCC – Supply Voltage (V) Figure 3 Regulator Output Voltage vs Ambient Temperature 4.90 –60 AS2842/4 VOUT – Output Voltage (V) 25 AS2843/5 ICC – Supply Current (mA) Supply Current vs Supply Voltage 25 –30 0 90 120 30 60 TA – Ambient Temperature (°C) Figure 5 43 150 Current Mode Controller AS2842/3/4/5 Typical Performance Curves Maximum Duty Cycle vs Timing Resistor Regulator Load Regulation 100 –4 Maximum Duty Cycle (%) ∆VREG – Regulator Voltage Change (mV) 0 –8 –12 150° C 25° C –55° C –16 80 60 40 –20 –24 20 0 20 40 100 120 60 80 ISC – Regulator Source Current (mA) 140 0.3 Figure 6 10 Figure 7 Maximum Duty Cycle Temperature Stability Timing Capacitor vs Oscillator Frequency 100 100 Maximum Duty Cycle (%) 10 RT = 1 kΩ RT = 2.2 kΩ 1 RT = 4.7 kΩ RT = 10 kΩ 100 FOSC – Oscillator Frequency (kHz) 70 RT = 1 kΩ 60 40 –55 –35 –15 1M Figure 8 ASTEC Semiconductor RT = 2.2 kΩ 80 50 0.1 10 RT = 10 kΩ 90 RT = 680 Ω CT – Timing Capacitor (nF) 1 3 RT – Timing Register (kΩ) RT = 680 Ω 5 25 65 85 45 TA – Ambient Temperature Figure 9 44 105 125 Current Mode Controller AS2842/3/4/5 Typical Performance Curves Current Sense Input Threshold vs Error Amp Output Voltage Error Amp Input Voltage vs Ambient Temperature 2.510 1.0 VFB – Error Amp Input Voltage (V) VSENSE – Current Sense Input Threshold (V) 1.2 0.8 0.6 TA = 125° C 0.4 TA = 25° C 0.2 0 TA = –55° C 2.500 2.490 2.480 2.470 VFB = VCOMP VCC = 15 V –0.2 2.460 –60 –0.4 0 1 3 5 2 4 VCOMP – Error Amp Output Voltage (V) 6 –30 60 120 0 30 90 TA – Ambient Temperature (°C) Figure 10 Figure 11 Output Sink Capability In UnderVoltage Mode Output Saturation Voltage 1A 0 100 10 1 0.5 1 1.5 VOUT – Output Voltage (V) 2 –1 –2 TJ = –55° C TJ = 25° C 3 2 Sink Saturation 1 TJ = 125° C 0 2.5 10 Figure 12 ASTEC Semiconductor Source Saturation VOUT – VCC TJ = 125° C VSAT – Output Saturation Voltage (V) IOUT – Output Sink Current (mA) VCC = 6 V TA = 25° C 0 150 100 IOUT – Output Saturation Current (mA) Figure 13 45 500 Current Mode Controller AS2842/3/4/5 Application Information Section 1— Theory of Operation The AS2842/3/4/5 family of current-mode control ICs are low cost, high performance controllers which are pin compatible with the industry standard UC2842 series of devices. Suitable for many switch mode power supply applications, these ICs have been optimized for use in high frequency off-line and DC-DC converters. The AS2842 has been enhanced to provide significantly improved performance, resulting in exceptionally better tolerances in power supply manufacturing. In addition, all electrical characteristics are guaranteed over the full 0 to 105 °C temperature range. Among the many enhancements are: a precision trimmed 2.5 volt reference (±0.5% of nominal at the error amplifier input), a significantly reduced propagation delay from current sense input to the IC output, a trimmed oscillator for precise duty-cycle clamping, a modified flip-flop scheme that gives a true 50% duty ratio clamp on 2844/45 types, and an improved 5 V regulator for better AC noise immunity. Furthermore, the AS2842 provides guaranteed performance with current sense input below ground. The advanced oscillator design greatly simplifies synchronization. The device is more completely specified to guarantee all parameters that impact power supply manufacturing tolerances. V The functional block diagram of the AS2842 is shown in Figure 1. The IC is comprised of the six basic functions necessary to implement current mode control; the under voltage lockout; the reference; the oscillator; the error amplifier; the current sense comparator/PWM latch; and the output. The following paragraphs will describe the theory of operation of each of the functional blocks. 1.1 Undervoltage lockout (UVLO) The undervoltage lockout function of the AS2842 holds the IC in a low quiescent current (≤ 1 mA) “standby” mode until the supply voltage (V CC) exceeds the upper UVLO threshold voltage. This guarantees that all of the IC’s internal circuitry are properly biased and fully functional before the output stage is enabled. Once the IC turns on, the UVLO threshold shifts to a lower level (hysteresis) to prevent VCC oscillations. The low quiescent current standby mode of the AS2842 allows “bootstrapping” — a technique used in off-line converters to start the IC from the rectified AC line voltage initially, after which power to the IC is provided by an auxiliary winding off the power supply’s main transformer. Figure 14 shows a typical bootstrap circuit where capacitor DC >1 mA R< R VDC MIN 1 mA AS284x PRI 7 VCC IC ENABLE AC LINE OUT 5 16 V/10 V (2842/4) GND + 8.4 V/7.8 V (2843/5) + AUX C Figure 14. Bootstrap Circuit ASTEC Semiconductor 6 46 SEC Current Mode Controller AS2842/3/4/5 trimmed internal 2.5 V reference which is connected to the non-inverting (+) input of the error amplifier. The tolerance of the internal reference is ±0.5% over the full specified temperature range, and ±1% for VREG. (C) is charged via resistor (R) from the rectified AC line. When the voltage on the capacitor (V CC) reaches the upper UVLO threshold, the IC (and hence, the power supply) turns on and the voltage on C begins to quickly discharge due to the increased operating current. During this time, the auxiliary winding begins to supply the current necessary to run the IC. The capacitor must be sufficiently large to maintain a voltage greater than the lower UVLO threshold during start up. The value of R must be selected to provide greater than 1 mA of current at the minimum DC bus voltage (R < VDCmin/1 mA). The reference section of the AS2842 is greatly improved over the standard 2842 in a number of ways. For example, in a closed loop system, the voltage at the error amplifier’s inverting input (VFB, pin 1) is forced by the loop to match the voltage at the non-inverting input. Thus, V FB is the voltage which sets the accuracy of the entire system. The 2.5 V reference of the AS2842 is tightly trimmed for precision at VFB, including errors caused by the op amp, and is specified over temperature. This method of trim provides a precise reference voltage for the error amplifier while maintaining the original 5 V regulator specifications. In addition, force/sense (Kelvin) bonding to the package pin is utilized to further improve the 5 V load regulation. Standard 2842’s, on the other hand, specify tight regulation for the 5 V output only and rate it over line, load and temperature. The voltage at VFB, which is of critical importance, is loosely specified and only at 25° C. The UVLO feature of the AS2842 has significant advantages over standard 2842 devices. First, the UVLO thresholds are based on a temperature compensated band gap reference rather than conventional zeners. Second, the UVLO disables the output at power down, offering additional protection in cases where VREG is heavily decoupled. The UVLO on some 2842 devices shuts down the 5 volt regulator only, which results in eventual power down of the output only after the 5 volt rail collapses. This can lead to unwanted stresses on the switching devices during power down. The AS2842 has two separate comparators which monitor both VCC and VREF and hold the output low if either are not within specification. The reference section, in addition to providing a precise DC reference voltage, also powers most of the IC’s internal circuitry. Switching noise, therefore, can be internally coupled onto the reference. With this in mind, all of the logic within the AS2842 was designed with ECL type circuitry which generates less switching noise because it runs at essentially constant current regardless of logic state. This, together with improved AC noise rejection, results in substantially less switching noise on the 5 V output. The AS2842 family offers two different UVLO options. The AS2842/4 has UVLO thresholds of 16 volts (on) and 10 volts (off). The AS2843/5 has UVLO levels of 8.4 volts (on) and 7.6 volts (off). 1.2 Reference (VREG and VFB) The AS2842 effectively has two precise band gap based temperature compensated voltage references. Most obvious is the VREG pin (pin 8) which is the output of a series pass regulator. This 5.0 V output is normally used to provide charging current to the oscillator’s timing capacitor (Section 1.3). In addition, there is a ASTEC Semiconductor The reference output is short circuit protected and can safely deliver more than 20 mA to power external circuitry. 47 Current Mode Controller AS2842/3/4/5 1.3 Oscillator The newly designed oscillator of the AS2842 is enhanced to give significantly improved performance. These enhancements are discussed in the following paragraphs. The basic operation of the oscillator is as follows: A simple RC network is used to program the frequency and the maximum duty ratio of the AS2842 output. See Figure 15. Timing capacitor (CT) is charged through timing resistor (RT) from the fixed 5.0 V at VREG. During the charging time, the OUT (pin 6) is high. Assuming that the output is not terminated by the PWM latch, when the voltage across CT reaches the upper oscillator trip point (≈3.0 V), an internal current sink from pin 4 to ground is turned on and discharges C T towards the lower trip point. During this discharge time, an internal clock pulse blanks the output to its low state. When the voltage across CT reaches the lower trip point (≈1.3 V), the current sink is turned off, the output goes high, and the cycle repeats. Since the output is blanked during the discharge of CT, it is the discharge time which controls the output deadtime and hence, the maximum duty ratio. The nature of the AS2842 oscillator circuit is such that, for a given frequency, many combinations of RT and CT are possible. However, only one value of RT will yield the desired maximum duty ratio at a given frequency. Since a precise maximum duty ratio clamp is critical for many power supply designs, the oscillator discharge current is trimmed in a unique manner which provides significantly improved tolerances as explained later in this section. In addition, the AS2844/5 options have an internal flip-flop which effectively blanks every other output pulse (the oscillator runs at twice the output frequency), providing an absolute maximum 50% duty ratio regardless of discharge time. 1.3.1 Selecting timing components RT and CT The values of RT and CT can be determined mathematically by the following expressions: CT = D K R T ƒOSC ln L KH = 1.63D R T ƒOSC 7 VCC CT 8 5 V REG OUTPUT PWM RT 6 OUTPUT CLOCK 4 Large RT/Small CT OSCILLATOR CT ID CT AS2842 OUTPUT Small RT/ Large CT 5 GND Figure 15. Oscillator Set-up and Waveforms ASTEC Semiconductor 48 (1) Current Mode Controller AS2842/3/4/5 V (KL ) D – (KH ) D RT = REG ⋅ 1− D 1− D ID ( K ) D – ( K ) D L H 1 Table 1. RT vs Maximum Duty Ratio 1 ( 2) RT (Ω) Dmax 470 22% 560 37% 683 50% 750 54% 820 58% 910 63% 1,000 66% 1,200 72% 1,500 77% where fosc is the oscillator frequency, D is the maximum duty ratio, VH is the oscillator’s upper trip point, VL is the lower trip point, VR is the Reference voltage, ID is the discharge current. 1,800 81% 2,200 85% 2,700 88% Table 1 lists some common values of RT and the corresponding maximum duty ratio. To select the timing components; first, use Table 1 or equation (2) to determine the value of RT that will yield the desired maximum duty ratio. Then, use equation (1) to calculate the value of CT. For example, for a switching frequency of 250 kHz and a maximum duty ratio of 50%, the value of R T, from Table 1, is 683 Ω. Applying this value to equation (1) and solving for CT gives a value of 4700 pF. In practice, some fine tuning of the initial values may be necessary during design. However, due to the advanced design of the AS2842 oscillator, once the final values are determined, they will yield repeatable results, thus eliminating the need for additional trimming of the timing components during manufacturing. 3,300 90% 3,900 91% 4,700 93% 5,600 94% 6,800 95% 8,200 96% 10,000 97% 18,000 98% (0.736) − (0.432) 1 = 582 ⋅ D (0.736) KL = KH = 1− D VREG − VL VREG VREG − VH VH D − (0.432) ≈ 0.736 ≈ 0.432 1 D 1− D D (3) ( 4) that compensates for all of the tolerances within the device (such as the tolerances of V REG, propagation delays, the oscillator trip points, etc.) which have an effect on the frequency and maximum duty ratio. For example, if the combined tolerances of a particular device are 0.5% above nominal, then ID is trimmed to 0.5% above nominal. This method of trimming virtually eliminates the need to trim external oscillator components during power supply manufactur- 1.3.2 Oscillator enhancements The AS2842 oscillator is trimmed to provide guaranteed duty ratio clamping. This means that the discharge current (ID ) is trimmed to a value ASTEC Semiconductor 49 Current Mode Controller AS2842/3/4/5 1.4 Error amplifier (COMP) ing. Standard 2842 devices specify or trim only for a specific value of discharge current. This makes precise and repeatable duty ratio clamping virtually impossible due to other IC tolerances. The AS2844/5 provides true 50% duty ratio clamping by virtue of excluding from its flipflop scheme, the normal output blanking associated with the discharge of CT. Standard AS2844/ 5 devices include the output blanking associated with the discharge of CT, resulting in somewhat less than a 50% duty ratio. The AS2842 error amplifier is a wide bandwidth, internally compensated operational amplifier which provides a high DC open loop gain (90 dB). The input to the amplifier is a PNP differential pair. The non-inverting (+) input is internally connected to the 2.5 V reference, and the inverting (–) input is available at pin 2 (VFB). The output of the error amplifier consists of an active pulldown and a 0.8 mA current source pull-up as shown in Figure 17. This type of output stage allows easy implementation of soft start, latched shutdown and reduced current sense clamp functions. It also permits wire “OR-ing” of the error amplifier outputs of several 2842s, or complete bypass of the error amplifier when its output is forced to remain in its “pull-up” condition. 1.3.3 Synchronization The advanced design of the AS2842 oscillator simplifies synchronizing the frequency of two or more devices to each other or to an external clock. The RT/CT doubles as a synchronization input which can easily be driven from any open collector logic output. Figure 16 shows some simple circuits for implementing synchronization. 8 Open Collector Output RT 5V VREG Open Collector Output A 2842 4 3K CMOS RT/CT RT/CT GND 5 RT/CT 2K CT SYNC 3K Figure 16. Synchronization 2K EXTERNAL CLOCK 1 COMP From VOUT COMPENSATION NETWORK E/A 2 VFB – + 2.50 V Figure 17. Error Amplifier Compensation ASTEC Semiconductor 50 0.8 mA TO PWM Current Mode Controller AS2842/3/4/5 In most typical power supply designs, the converter’s output voltage is divided down and monitored at the error amplifier’s inverting input, VFB. A simple resistor divider network is used and is scaled such that the voltage at VFB is 2.5 V when the converter’s output is at the desired voltage. The voltage at VFB is then compared to the internal 2.5 V reference and any slight difference is amplified by the high gain of the error amplifier. The resulting error amplifier output is level shifted by two diode drops and is then divided by three to provide a 0 to 1 V reference (VE) to one input of the current sense comparator. The level shifting reduces the input voltage range of the current sense input and prevents the output from going high when the error amplifier output is forced to its low state. An internal clamp limits VE to 1.0 V. The purpose of the clamp is discussed in Section 1.5. in Figure 17. The type of network used depends on the converter topology and in particular, the characteristics of the major functional blocks within the supply - i.e. the error amplifier, the modulator/switching circuit, and the output filter. In general, the network is designed such that the converters overall gain/phase response approaches that of a single pole with a –20 dB/ decade rolloff, crossing unity gain at the highest possible frequency (up to f SW/4) for good dynamic response, with adequate phase margin (> 45°) to ensure stability. Figure 18 shows the Gain/Phase response of the error amplifier. The unity gain crossing is at 1.2 MHz with approximately 57° C of phase margin. This information is useful in determining the configuration and characteristics required for the compensation network. One of the simplest types of compensation networks is shown in Figure 19. An RC network provides a single pole which is normally set to compensate for the zero introduced by the the output capacitor’s ESR. The frequency of the pole (fP) is determined by the formula; 1.4.1 Loop compensation Loop compensation of a power supply is necessary to ensure stability and provide good line/load regulation and dynamic response. It is normally provided by a compensation network connected between the error amplifier’s output (COMP) and inverting input as shown ƒP = 1 2π R ƒ C ƒ (5) 240 80 210 Gain Phase 150 120 40 90 60 20 Phase (Degrees) Gain (dB) CF 180 60 RF VOUT RI RBIAS 30 – E/A + To PWM 0 0 2.50 V –30 –20 101 –60 102 103 104 105 Frequency (Hz) 106 107 Figure 18. Gain/Phase Response of the AS2842 ASTEC Semiconductor Figure 19. A Typical Compensation Network 51 Current Mode Controller AS2842/3/4/5 Resistors R1 and RF set the low frequency gain and should be chosen to provide the highest possible gain, without exceeding the unity gain crossing frequency limit of fSW /4. RBIAS, in conjunction with R1, sets the converter’s output voltage; but has no effect on the loop gain/phase response. There are a few converter design considerations associated with the error amplifier. First, the values of the divider network (R1 and RBIAS) should be kept low in order to minimize errors caused by the error amplifier’s input bias current ( –1.0 µA). An output voltage error equal to the product of the input bias current and the equivalent divider resistance, can be quite significant with divider values greater than 5 kΩ. Low divider resistor values also help to improve the noise immunity of the sensitive VFB input. The second consideration is that the error amplifier will typically source only 0.8 mA; thus, the value of feedback resistance (RF) should be no lower than 5 kΩ in order to maintain the error amplifier’s full output range. In practice, however, the feedback resistance required is usually much greater than 5 kΩ, hence this limitation is normally not a problem. Some power supply topologies may require a more elaborate compensation network. For example, flyback and boost converters operating with continuous current have transfer functions that include a right half plane (RHP) zero. These types of systems require an additional pole element within the compensation network. A detailed discussion of loop compensation, however, is beyond the scope of this application note. 1.5 ISENSE current comparator/PWM latch The current sense comparator (sometimes called the PWM comparator) and accompanying latch circuitry make up the pulse width modulator (PWM). It provides pulse-by-pulse current ASTEC Semiconductor 52 sensing/limiting and generates a variable duty ratio pulse train which controls the output voltage of the power supply. Included is a high speed comparator followed by ECL type logic circuitry which has very low propagation delays and switching noise. This is essential for high frequency power supply designs. The comparator has been designed to provide guaranteed performance with the current sense input below ground. The PWM latch ensures that only one pulse is allowed at the output for each oscillator period. The inverting input to the current sense comparator is internally connected to the level shifted output of the error amplifier (VE) as discussed in the previous section. The non-inverting input is the ISENSE input (pin 3). It monitors the switched inductor current of the converter. Figure 20 shows the current sense/PWM circuitry of the AS2842, and associated waveforms. The output is set high by an internal clock pulse and remains high until one of two conditions occur; 1) the oscillator times out (Section 1.3 )or 2) the PWM latch is set by the current sense comparator. During the time when the output is high, the converter’s switching device is turned on and current flows through resistor R S. This produces a stepped ramp waveform at pin 3 as shown in Figure 20. The current will continue to ramp up until it reaches the level of V E at the inverting input. At that point, the comparator’s output goes high, setting the PWM latch and the output pulse is then terminated. Thus, V E is a variable reference for the current sense comparator, and it controls the peak current sensed by RS on a cycle-by-cycle basis. VS varies in proportion to changes in the input voltage/current (inner control loop) while VE varies in proportion to changes in the converters output voltage/ current (outer control loop). The two control loops merge at the current sense comparator, producing a variable duty ratio pulse train that controls the output of the converter. Current Mode Controller AS2842/3/4/5 AS2842/3/4/5 VIN COMP 1 VREG ERROR AMP 8 + 2.5 V 2 – 5 V REG 2R VFB PWM COMPARATOR VE – 1V R VCC CURRENT SENSE RT/CT CLOCK OUTPUT 6 VE R + 4 SEC PWM LOGIC FF S 3 PRI 7 GND CLOCK VS 5 OUTPUT IS VS R C RS Leadong Edge Filter Figure 20. Current Sense/PWN Latch Circuit and Waveforms The current sense comparator’s inverting input is internally clamped to a level of 1.0 V to provide a current limit (or power limit for multiple output supplies) function. The value of RS is selected to produce 1.0 V at the maximum allowed current. For example, if 1.5 A is the maximum allowed peak inductor current, then RS is selected to equal 1 V/1.5 A = 0.66 Ω. In high power applications, power dissipation in the current sense resistor may become intolerable. In such a case, a current transformer can be used to step down the current seen by the sense resistor. See Figure 21. 1.6 Output (OUT) The output stage of the AS2842 is a high current totem-pole configuration that is well suited for directly driving power MOSFETs. It is capable of sourcing and sinking up to 1 A of peak current. Cross conduction losses in the output stage have been minimized resulting in lower power dissipation in the device. This is particularly important for high frequency operation. During undervoltage shutdown conditions, the output is active low. This eliminates the need for an external pulldown resistor. 1.7 Over-temperature shutdown The AS2842 has a built-in over-temperature shutdown which will limit the die temperature to 130° C typically. When the over-temperature condition is reached, the oscillator is disabled. All other circuit blocks remain operational. Therefore, when the oscillator stops running, output pulses terminate without losing control of the supply or losing any peripheral functions that may be running off the 5 V regulator. The output may go high during the final cycle, but the PWM N :1 VS VS = ( IN ) R S S RS IS Figure 21. Optional Current Transformer ASTEC Semiconductor 53 Current Mode Controller AS2842/3/4/5 latch is still fully operative, and the normal termination of this cycle by the current sense comparator will latch the output low until the overtemperature condition is rectified. Cycling the power will reset the over-temperature disable mechanism, or the chip will re-start after cooling through a nominal hysteresis band. it approximately equals the duration of the spike. A good choice for R1 is 1 kΩ, as this value is optimum for the filter and at the same time, it simplifies the determination of R SLOPE (Section 2.2). If the duration of the spike is, for example, 100 ns, then C is determined by: Time Constant 1 kΩ 100 ns = 1 kΩ = 100 pF C = Section 2 – Design Considerations 2.1 Leading edge filter The current sensed by RS contains a leading edge spike as shown in Figure 20. This spike is caused by parasitic elements within the circuit including the interwinding capacitance of the power transformer and the recovery characteristics of the rectifier diode(s). The spike, if not properly filtered, can cause stability problems by prematurely terminating the output pulse. A simple RC filter is used to suppress the spike. The time constant should be chosen such that VE 2.2 Slope compensation Current-mode controlled converters can experience instabilities or subharmonic oscillations when operated at duty ratios greater than 50%. Two different phenomena can occur as shown VE IPK IAVG 2 ∆I IAVG 1 ∆I' 1 m 2 m 2 m m 1 I L2 (6) IL1 T0 D1 D2 T1 T0 D1 (a) VE T1 VE m=m m=m 2 /2 2 /2 m 1 m 1 D2 (b) I L2 IAVG 1 = IAVG 2 IL1 T0 D1 ∆I m 2 D2 2 T1 T0 (c) D1 D2 (d) Figure 22. Slope Compensation ASTEC Semiconductor ∆I' M 54 T1 Current Mode Controller AS2842/3/4/5 the oscillator at pin 4, it is more practical to add the slope compensation to the current waveform. This can be implemented quite simply with the addition of a single resistor, RSLOPE, between pin 4 and pin 3 as shown in Figure 23(a). RSLOPE, in conjunction with the leading edge filter resistor, R1 (Section 2.1), forms a divider network which determines the amount of slope added to the waveform. The amount of slope added to the current waveform is inversely proportional to the value of RSLOPE. It has been determined that the amount of slope (m) required is equal to or greater than 1/2 the downslope (m2) of the inductor current. Mathematically stated: graphically in Figure 22. First, current-mode controllers detect and control the peak inductor current, where as the converter’s output corresponds to the average inductor current. Figure 22(a) clearly shows that the average inductor current (I1 & I2) changes as the duty ratio (D1 & D2) changes. Note that for a fixed control voltage, the peak current is the same for any duty ratio. The difference between the peak and average currents represents an error which causes the converter to deviate from true current-mode control. Second, Figure 22(b) depicts how a small perturbation of the inductor current (∆I) can result in an unstable condition. For duty ratios less than 50 %, the disturbance will quickly converge to a steady state condition. For duty ratios greater than 50 %, ∆I progressively increases on each cycle, causing an unstable condition. m≥ Slope compensation can also be used to improve noise immunity in current mode converters operating at less than 50% duty ratio. Power supplies 8 VREG RT RT/CT AS2842 R1 4 OPTIONAL BUFFER CT RSLOPE IS AS2842 3 I SENSE GND GND RS 5 (a) 5 (b) Figure 23. Slope Compensation ASTEC Semiconductor RT/CT CT RSLOPE R1 3 I SENSE RS VREG RT 4 IS (7) 2 In some cases the required value of R SLOPE may be low enough to affect the oscillator circuit and thus cause the frequency to shift. An emitter follower circuit can be used as a buffer for R SLOPE as depicted in Figure 23(b). Both of these problems are corrected simultaneously by injecting a compensating ramp into either the control voltage (VE) as shown in Figure 22(c) & (d), or to the current sense waveform at pin 3. Since VE is not directly accessible, and, a positive ramp waveform is readily available from 8 m2 55 Current Mode Controller AS2842/3/4/5 operating under very light load can experience instabilities caused by the low amplitude of the current sense ramp waveform. In such a case, any noise on the waveform can be sufficient to trip the comparator resulting in random and premature pulse termination. The addition of a small amount of artificial ramp (slope compensation) can eliminate such problems without drastically affecting the overall performance of the system. 2.3 Circuit layout and other considerations The electronic noise generated by any switchmode power supply can cause severe stability problems if the circuit is not layed-out (wired) properly. A few simple layout practices will help to minimize noise problems. When building prototype breadboards, never use plug-in protoboards or wire wrap construction. For best results, do all breadboarding on double sided PCB using ground plane techniques. Keep ASTEC Semiconductor 56 all traces and lead lengths to a minimum. Avoid large loops and keep the area enclosed within any loops to a minimum. Use common point grounding techniques and separate the power ground traces from the signal ground traces. Locate the control IC and circuitry away from switching devices and magnetics. Also, the timing capacitor’s ground connection must be right at pin 5 as shown in Figure 15. These grounding and wiring techniques are very important because the resistance and inductance of the traces are significant enough to generate noise glitches which can disrupt the normal operation of the IC. Also, to provide a low impedance path for high frequency noise, V CC and V REF should be decoupled to IC ground with 0.1 µF capacitors. Additional decoupling in other sensitive areas may also be necessary. It is very important to locate the decoupling capacitors as close as possible to the circuit being decoupled.