NSC LM5069 Output voltage clamping using the lm5069 hot swap controller Datasheet

National Semiconductor
Application Note 2040
Dennis Morgan
March 15, 2010
The Issue
Voltage Lock Out) thresholds, which are set with external
resistors (R1-R3 in Figure 1).
While the OVLO function can be used to keep excessive voltages at VIN from reaching the load at VOUT, a potential drawback to this method of over-voltage protection is that the
voltage at VOUT is shut off for the duration of the over-voltage
condition. This can (and likely will) result in a shutdown of the
load circuitry, followed by a restart – an event which may interrupt the normal operation of other associated circuitry.
One of the many benefits of using the LM5069 Hot Swap
Controller, besides inrush current limiting and fault monitoring, is that the controller supplies a voltage to the load that is
between defined limits. This feature prevents the load from
receiving a voltage less than what it is rated for (which could
result in erratic behavior), and prevents it from receiving a
voltage higher than what it is rated for, which could result in
overheating and/or damage. The voltage limits to the load are
set by the UVLO (Under-Voltage Lock Out) and OVLO (Over-
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FIGURE 1. LM5069 Basic Application Circuit
Output Voltage Clamping Using the LM5069 Hot Swap Controller
Output Voltage Clamping
Using the LM5069 Hot Swap
Controller
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© 2010 National Semiconductor Corporation
301192
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age condition appears at VIN. This is accomplished by adding
a zener diode at the GATE pin of the LM5069, as shown in
Figure 2.
The Solution
The solution presented here is to limit the voltage at VOUT to
a maximum value, rather than shut it off, when an over-volt-
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FIGURE 2. Zener Clamp Added to the Gate
In normal operation (when the over-voltage condition is not
present) the GATE pin of the LM5069 is approximately 12V
above the voltage at VOUT. As the voltage at VIN increases
above the normal operating range, Q1’s gate voltage is
clamped by Z1. As VIN continues to increase, the voltage at
VOUT is clamped when Q1’s gate-to-source voltage (VGS) reduces to a level where Q1 limits the current to the load. Any
additional increase in VIN is absorbed by Q1 as there is no
additional increase in the voltage at VOUT.
The choice of zener voltage for Z1 depends not only on the
voltage at which VOUT is to be clamped, but also on the spe-
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cific MOSFET chosen for Q1 – more specifically, its VGS
characteristics. Typically Z1 should have a zener voltage approximately 2V to 5V above the desired clamping voltage at
VOUT. Using the Transfer Characteristics information in the
MOSFET’s datasheet can provide an initial value for the difference between Z1’s voltage and the desired clamping voltage at VOUT. The final selection for Z1 should be determined
experimentally.
2
Two LM5069 circuits were tested with different value zener
diodes for Z1. In both tests the pertinent external components
were:
- RS = 20 mohms
- RPWR = 12.5 kohms
- Power Limit = 5 Watts
- Q1 = Vishay SUM40N15-38
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FIGURE 3. Z1 = 20V
Transient testing was performed by quickly increasing VIN
from 10V to 20V for 20 milliseconds, and then returning VIN
to 10V. The scope photo in Figure 4 shows the results:
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Trace 1: VOUT (10V/div)
Trace 2: GATE pin (10/V/div)
Trace 3: TIMER pin (2V/div)
Trace 4: VIN (10V/div)
FIGURE 4. Transient Testing with Z1 = 20V
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A) In the first test, a 20V zener diode was used for Z1. The
circuit’s load resistance was 40 ohms, resistive. The result,
shown in Figure 3, is that the GATE pin was clamped at approximately 20V for VIN >11V, and the output voltage was
clamped at between 15.6V and 17V as VIN was increased
from 16V to 27V. In this test circuit, increasing VIN above 27V
activated the power limiting feature of the LM5069, and Q1
was shut off after the fault timeout period.
Test Results
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Referring to Figure 4, initially VIN and VOUT are at 10V, and
the GATE pin is at approximately 17.6V. The voltage at the
TIMER pin is at zero since the load current is below the current limit threshold. When VIN increases quickly from 10V to
20V, there is a momentary current surge through R S and Q1
to the capacitor at VOUT (CL). The current surge amplitude
reached the Circuit Breaker limit of the LM5069, which triggered the strong pull-down at the GATE pin.* This is why the
GATE pin voltage quickly dropped almost 10V when VIN increased, and the voltage at VOUT dropped a small amount as
the load current was momentarily reduced. Immediately after
that, the circuit breaker function is shut off (due to the reduced
current level), and the current limit feature of the LM5069 then
limits the current through RS and Q1. During this time of current limiting (approximately 3 ms in Figure 4) the voltage at
the TIMER pin increases since current limiting is a fault condition.
As the voltage at VOUT increases the voltage at the GATE pin
increases with it until it reaches the clamp voltage set by Z1
(19.91V in Figure 4). At this point the voltage at VOUT is
clamped at 15.55V, and remains at that level for the remaining
time that VIN is at 20V. During the time that VOUT is clamped,
the load current (0.389A) is below the current limit threshold,
and the power dissipated in Q1 (1.73W) is below the power
limit threshold. The TIMER pin voltage is decreasing back towards zero volts. When the voltage at VIN drops back to 10V,
the voltage levels at the GATE pin and at VOUT reduce back
to their original levels.
*The current surge amplitude was verified with a current
probe in series with RS.
B) In the second test, a 56V zener diode was used for Z1. The
circuit’s load resistance was 140 ohms, resistive. The result,
shown in Figure 5, is that the GATE pin was clamped at approximately 56V for VIN >44V, and the output voltage was
clamped at between 51V and 51.5V as VIN was increased
from 52V to 62V. In this test circuit, increasing VIN above 62V
activated the power limiting feature of the LM5069, and Q1
was shut off after the fault timeout period.
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FIGURE 5. Z1 = 56V
Transient testing was performed by quickly increasing VIN
from 48V to 60V for 20 milliseconds, and then returning VIN
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to 48V. The load was 240 ohms, resistive, for this test. The
scope photo in Figure 6 shows the results:
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30119211
Trace 1: VOUT (20V/div)
Trace 2: GATE pin (20V/div)
Trace 3: TIMER pin (1V/div)
Trace 4: VIN (20V/div)
FIGURE 6. Transient Testing with Z1 = 56V
Referring to Figure 6, initially VIN and VOUT are at 48V. The
GATE pin, which would normally be at 60V if Z1 were not
present, is at approximately 55.8V due to Z1. But the gate-tosource voltage is sufficient to fully enhance Q1’s gate so that
VOUT is not clamped, and is equal to VIN. The voltage at the
TIMER pin is at zero since the load current is below the current limit threshold. When VIN increases quickly from 48V to
60V, there is a momentary current surge through R S and Q1
to the capacitor at VOUT (CL). The current surge amplitude
reached the Circuit Breaker limit of the LM5069, which triggered the strong pull-down at the GATE pin.* This is why the
GATE pin voltage quickly dropped 10V when VIN increased,
and the voltage at VOUT dropped a small amount as the load
current was momentarily reduced. Immediately after that, the
circuit breaker function is shut off (due to the reduced current
level), and the current limit feature of the LM5069 then limits
the current through RS and Q1. During this time of current
limiting (approximately 2 ms in Figure 6) the voltage at the
TIMER pin increases since current limiting is a fault condition.
As the voltage at VOUT increases the voltage at the GATE pin
increases with it until it reaches the clamp voltage set by Z1
(55.8V in Figure 6). At this point the voltage at VOUT is
clamped at 51.1V, and remains at that level for the remaining
time that VIN is at 60V. During the time that VOUT is clamped,
the load current (0.213A) is below the current limit threshold,
and the power dissipated in Q1 (1.9W) is below the power
limit threshold. The TIMER pin voltage is decreasing back towards zero volts. When the voltage at VIN reduces back to
48V, the voltage at VOUT reduces back to 48V. The GATE pin
voltage remains at 55.8V since VIN is above 44V.
*The current surge amplitude was verified with a current
probe in series with RS.
Transient Testing and Fault Timeout
In the above two transient tests, the simulated transients were
repetitive with VIN held at its higher level for 20 ms, and at the
lower level for 80 ms. The LM5069 did not produce a fault
timeout since the TIMER pin voltage, which increased during
the brief current limiting period, was able to reduce to zero
before the next transient arrived. However, a fault timeout,
with the accompanying shutdown of Q1, would occur if any of
the following test changes were made:
- The upper voltage level at VIN was increased, or
- The load current was increased by reducing the load resistance, or
- The time interval between transients was decreased.
If any of these changes were made, the TIMER pin voltage
would not be able to decrease to zero during each transient
cycle, causing the pin’s voltage to repetitively increase with
the arrival of each transient. When the voltage at the TIMER
pin reached 4 volts, Q1 was shut off.
In an actual application, if transients are known to be very
frequent, the TIMER pin should be monitored on a scope during testing of this proposed solution to see if the voltage stays
near zero, or if it drifts up a significant amount with the arrival
of each transient. If the TIMER pin voltage reaches 4V at any
time Q1 is shut off. The conditions required to cause a fault
timeout and a shutdown of Q1 are different for each application.
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Power Dissipation in Q1
Diode Selection
Implementing this voltage clamp requires re-evaluating the
possible power dissipation in Q1. During an over-voltage condition where VOUT is clamped, the power dissipated by Q1 is
due to the voltage difference across Q1 (VIN – VOUT), and the
load current. The different scenarios which can result are:
- If the power dissipation in Q1 is less than the maximum
power limit allowed by the LM5069 (set by RPWR and RS), and/
or the duration of the over-voltage condition is known to be
less than the fault timeout set by CT, a fault timeout does not
occur. The appropriate limit line in the MOSFET’s SOA chart
can be used to determine the maximum power limit setting.
- In the case where the duration of the over-voltage condition is extended (possibly lasting several seconds) rather than
brief, and the power dissipation in Q1 is less than the maximum power limit allowed by the LM5069, a fault timeout does
not occur. However, in this case Q1 can dissipate significant
power for the extended time. The DC limit line of the
MOSFET’s SOA chart must be checked, and the heat sink
provided for Q1 must be reviewed.
- If the power dissipation in Q1 reaches the maximum power
limit allowed by the LM5069, the fault timer is activated. If the
duration of the over-voltage condition is less than the
LM5069’s fault timeout period (set by CT), the circuit returns
to normal operation (VOUT = VIN) when the over-voltage condition subsides. But if the duration of the over-voltage condition is longer than the fault timeout period, Q1 is shut off at
the end of the fault timeout period.
As mentioned above, the selection of a diode for Z1 should
be determined experimentally. The voltage at which VOUT is
clamped during an over-voltage condition depends not only
on Z1 and its tolerances, but also on Q1’s VGS characteristics,
the load current, and Q1’s junction temperature. As for the
power rating required for Z1, the current which flows through
Z1 is the current supplied from the GATE pin of the LM5069,
which is nominally 16 µA. This current flows through Z1 only
when it is actively clamping the LM5069’s GATE pin.
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Change the OVLO Threshold
When implementing this output voltage clamp, the OVLO
threshold must either be disabled, or set higher than the maximum voltage expected at VIN during the transient or overvoltage condition. Otherwise, Q1 is shut off anytime the
voltage at VIN exceeds the OVLO threshold. To disable the
OVLO function connect the OVLO pin to Ground. To change
the OVLO threshold, see the LM5069 datasheet for the procedure to calculate new values for the external resistors.
PGD Output
When VOUT is clamped during an over-voltage condition, a
voltage difference exists across Q1 (VIN - VOUT). If that voltage
difference exceeds 2.5V the PGD output switches low. When
the over-voltage condition subsides, and the voltage across
Q1 decreases below 1.25V, Q1 switches high.
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Notes
7
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Output Voltage Clamping Using the LM5069 Hot Swap Controller
Notes
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