NSC LM20323A

LM20323A
36V, 3A 500 kHz Synchronous Buck Regulator
General Description
Features
The LM20323A is a full featured 500kHz synchronous buck
regulator capable of delivering up to 3A of load current. The
current mode control loop is externally compensated with only
two components, offering both high performance and ease of
use. The device is optimized to work over the input voltage
range of 4.5V to 36V making it well suited for high voltage
systems.
The device features internal Over Voltage Protection (OVP)
and Over Current Protection (OCP) circuits for increased system reliability. A precision Enable pin and integrated UVLO
allows the turn-on of the device to be tightly controlled and
sequenced. Startup inrush currents are limited by both an internally fixed and externally adjustable soft-start circuit. Fault
detection and supply sequencing are possible with the integrated power good (PGOOD) circuit.
The LM20323A is designed to work well in multi-rail power
supply architectures. The output voltage of the device can be
configured to track a higher voltage rail using the SS/TRK pin.
If the output of the LM20323A is pre-biased at startup it will
not sink current to pull the output low until the internal softstart ramp exceeds the voltage at the feedback pin.
The LM20323A is offered in an exposed pad 20-pin eTSSOP
package that can be soldered to the PCB, eliminating the
need for bulky heatsinks.
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■
■
■
■
■
■
■
■
■
4.5V to 36V input voltage range
3A output current, 5.2A peak current
130 mΩ/110 mΩ integrated power MOSFETs
93% peak efficiency with synchronous rectification
1.0% feedback voltage accuracy
Current mode control, selectable compensation
Fixed 500 kHz switching frequency
Adjustable output voltage down to 0.8V
Compatible with pre-biased loads
Programmable soft-start with external capacitor
Precision enable pin with hysteresis
Integrated OVP, UVLO, PGOOD
Internally protected with peak current limit, thermal
shutdown and restart
■ Accurate current limit minimizes inductor size
■ Non-linear current mode slope compensation
■ eTSSOP-20 exposed pad package
Applications
■ Simple to design, high efficiency point of load regulation
from a 4.5V to 36V bus
■ High Performance DSPs, FPGAs, ASICs and
Microprocessors
■ Communications Infrastructure, Automotive
Simplified Application Circuit
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PowerWise® is a registered trademark of National Semiconductor Corporation.
© 2009 National Semiconductor Corporation
300772
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LM20323A 36V, 3A 500 kHz Synchronous Buck Regulator
January 20, 2009
LM20323A
Connection Diagram
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Top View
eTSSOP-20 Package
Ordering Information
Order Number
Package Type
NSC Package Drawing
Package Marking
Supplied As
LM20323AMH
eTSSOP-20
MXA20A
20323AMH
73 Units per Rail
LM20323AMHE
250 Units per Tape and Reel
LM20323AMHX
2500 Units per Tape and Reel
Pin Descriptions
Pin(s)
Name
1
SS/TRK
Description
Application Information
Soft-Start or Tracking control input
An internal 4.5 µA current source charges an external capacitor to set
the soft-start rate. The PWM can track to an external voltage ramp with
a low impedance source. If left open, an internal 1 ms SS ramp is
activated.
2
FB
Feedback input to the error amplifier
from the regulated output
This pin is connected to the inverting input of the internal
transconductance error amplifier. An 800 mV reference is internally
connected to the non-inverting input of the error amplifier.
3
PGOOD
Power good output signal
Open drain output indicating the output voltage is regulating within
tolerance. A pull-up resistor of 10 kΩ to 100 kΩ is recommended if this
function is used.
4
COMP
5,6,15,16
VIN
Input supply voltage
Nominal operating range: 4.5V to 36V.
7,8,13,14
SW
Switch pin
The drain terminal of the internal Synchronous Rectifier power
NMOSFET and the source terminal of the internal Control power
NMOSFET.
Output of the internal error amplifier and The loop compensation network should be connected between the
input to the Pulse Width Modulator
COMP pin and the AGND pin.
9,10,11
GND
Ground
Internal reference for the power MOSFETs.
12
AGND
Analog ground
Internal reference for the regulator control functions.
17
BOOT
Boost input for bootstrap capacitor
An internal diode from VCC to BOOT charges an external capacitor
required from SW to BOOT to power the Control MOSFET gate driver.
18
VCC
19
EN
Enable or UVLO input
An external voltage divider can be used to set the line undervoltage
lockout threshold. If the EN pin is left unconnected, a 2 µA pull-up
current source pulls the EN pin high to enable the regulator.
20
NC
No Connection
Recommend connecting this pin to GND.
EP
Output of the high voltage linear
VCC tracks VIN up to about 7.2V. Above VIN = 7.2V, VCC is regulated
regulator. The VCC voltage is regulated to approximately 5.5 Volts. A 0.1 µF to 1 µF ceramic decoupling
to approximately 5.5V.
capacitor is required. The VCC pin is an output only.
Exposed Exposed pad
Pad
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Exposed metal pad on the underside of the package with a weak
electrical connection to GND. Connect this pad to the PC board ground
plane in order to improve heat dissipation.
2
If Military/Aerospace specified devices are required,
please contact the National Semiconductor Sales Office/
Distributors for availability and specifications.
VIN to GND
BOOT to GND
BOOT to SW
SW to GND
SW to GND (Transient)
FB, EN, SS/TRK, COMP,
PGOOD to GND
-0.3V to +38V
-0.3V to +43V
-0.3V to +7V
-0.5V to +38V
-1.5V (< 20 ns)
-0.3V to +6V
-0.3V to +8V
-65°C to 150°C
2kV
Operating Ratings
VIN to GND
Junction Temperature
+4.5V to +36V
−40°C to + 125°C
Electrical Characteristics
Unless otherwise stated, the following conditions apply: VVIN = 12V. Limits in standard
type are for TJ = 25°C only, limits in bold face type apply over the junction temperature (TJ) range of -40°C to +125°C. Minimum
and maximum limits are guaranteed through test, design, or statistical correlation. Typical values represent the most likely
parametric norm at TJ = 25°C, and are provided for reference purposes only.
Symbol
VFB
Parameter
Conditions
Min
Typ
Max
Feedback Pin Voltage
VVIN = 4.5V to 36V
RHSW-DS(ON)
High-Side MOSFET On-Resistance
ISW = 3A
130
225
mΩ
RLSW-DS(ON)
0.792
0.800 0.808
Units
V
Low-Side MOSFET On-Resistance
ISW = 3A
110
190
mΩ
IQ
Operating Quiescent Current
VVIN = 4.5V to 36V
2.3
3
mA
ISD
Shutdown Quiescent Current
VEN = 0V
VIN Under Voltage Lockout
Rising VVIN
VUVLO
VUVLO(HYS)
VVCC
4
VIN Under Voltage Lockout Hysteresis
150
180
µA
4.25
4.5
V
350
450
mV
VCC Voltage
IVCC = -5 mA, VEN = 5V
ISS
Soft-Start Pin Source Current
VSS = 0V
VTRKACC
Soft-Start/Track Pin Accuracy
VSS = 0.4V
BOOT Diode Leakage
VBOOT = 4V
10
BOOT Diode Forward Voltage
IBOOT = -100 mA
0.9
1.1
V
Over Voltage Protection Rising Threshold
VFB(OVP) / VFB
110
112
%
Over Voltage Protection Hysteresis
ΔVFB(OVP) / VFB
2
3
%
PGOOD Threshold, VOUT Rising
VFB(PG) / VFB
95
97
%
PGOOD Hysteresis
ΔVFB(PG) / VFB
2
3
IBOOT
VF-BOOT
5.5
V
2
4.5
7
µA
-10
5
15
mV
nA
Powergood
VFB(OVP)
VFB(OVP-HYS)
VFB(PG)
VFB(PG-HYS)
TPGOOD
107
93
PGOOD Delay
20
IPGOOD(SNK)
PGOOD Low Sink Current
VPGOOD = 0.5V
IPGOOD(SRC)
PGOOD High Leakage Current
VPGOOD = 5V
0.6
%
µs
1
mA
5
200
nA
520
570
kHz
Oscillator
FSW1
Switching Frequency
DMAX
Maximum Duty Cycle
IOUT = 3A
70
%
Feedback Pin Bias Current
VFB = 1V
50
nA
ICOMP(SRC)
COMP Output Source Current
VFB = 0V
VCOMP = 0V
200
400
µA
ICOMP(SNK)
COMP Output Sink Current
VFB = 1.6V
VCOMP = 1.6V
200
350
µA
450
470
Error Amplifier
IFB
Error Amplifier DC Transconductance
ICOMP = -50 µA to +50 µA
AVOL
gm
Error Amplifier Voltage Gain
COMP pin open
2000
V/V
GBW
Error Amplifier Gain-Bandwidth Product
COMP pin open
7
MHz
3
515
600
µmho
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LM20323A
VCC to GND
Storage Temperature
ESD Rating
Human Body Model (Note 2)
Absolute Maximum Ratings (Note 1)
LM20323A
Symbol
Parameter
Conditions
Min
Typ
Max
Units
4.3
5.2
6.0
A
Current Limit
ILIM
Cycle By Cycle Positive Current Limit
ILIMNEG
Cycle By Cycle Negative Current Limit
2.8
A
Cycle By Cycle Current Limit Delay
150
ns
TILIM
Enable
VIH_EN
EN Pin Rising Threshold
VEN(HYS)
EN Pin Hysteresis
IEN
EN Source Current
1.2
1.25
1.3
V
50
mV
2
µA
Thermal Shutdown
170
°C
Thermal Shutdown Hysteresis
20
°C
5.6
°C/W
27
°C/W
VEN = 0V, VVIN = 12V
Thermal Shutdown
TSD
TSD(HYS)
Thermal Resistance
θJC
Junction to Case
θJA
Junction to Ambient (Note 3)
0 LFM airflow
Note 1: Absolute Maximum Ratings indicate limits beyond witch damage to the device may occur. Operating Ratings indicate conditions for which the device is
intended to be functional, but do not guarantee specific performance limits. For guaranteed specifications and test conditions, see the Electrical Characteristics.
Note 2: The human body model is a 100 pF capacitor discharged through a 1.5 kΩ resistor to each pin.
Note 3: Measured on a 4 layer 2" x 2" PCB with 1 oz. copper weight inner layers and 2 oz. outer layers.
Typical Performance Characteristics Unless otherwise specified: VVIN = 12V, VOUT = 3.3V, L= 5.6 µH,
CSS = 100nF, TA = 25°C for efficiency curves, loop gain plots and waveforms, and TJ = 25°C for all others.
Efficiency vs. Load Current
Error Amplifier Gain
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4
LM20323A
Error Amplifier Phase
Line Regulation
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Load Regulation
VCC vs. VIN
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Non-Switching IQ vs. VIN
Shutdown IQ vs. VIN
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LM20323A
PGOOD Output Low Level Voltage vs. IPGOOD
Enable Threshold and Hysteresis vs. Temperature
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UVLO Threshold and Hysteresis vs. Temperature
Enable Current vs. Temperature
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Oscillator Frequency vs. VIN
High-Side FET Resistance vs. Temperature
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6
Low-Side FET Resistance vs. Temperature
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Peak Current Limit vs. Temperature
Startup with Prebiased Output
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Startup with CSS = 0
Startup with CSS = 100 nF
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LM20323A
Load Transient Response
LM20323A
Startup with Applied Track Signal
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LM20323A
Block Diagram
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LM20323A
each sequential over-current event, the reference voltage is
decremented and PWM pulses are skipped resulting in a current limit that does not aggressively fold back for brief overcurrent events, while at the same time providing frequency
and voltage foldback protection during hard short circuit conditions.
Operation Description
GENERAL
The LM20323A switching regulator features all of the functions necessary to implement an efficient buck regulator using
a minimum number of external components. This easy to use
regulator features two integrated switches and is capable of
supplying up to 3A of continuous output current. The regulator
utilizes peak current mode control with nonlinear slope compensation to optimize stability and transient response over the
entire output voltage range. Peak current mode control also
provides inherent line feed-forward, cycle-by-cycle current
limiting and easy loop compensation. The 500kHz switching
frequency minimizes the inductor size while keeping switching losses low allowing use of a small inductor while still
achieving efficiencies as high as 93%. The precision internal
voltage reference allows the output to be set as low as 0.8V.
Fault protection features include: current limiting, thermal
shutdown, over voltage protection, and shutdown capability.
The device is available in the eTSSOP-20 package featuring
an exposed pad to aid thermal dissipation. The typical application circuit for the LM20323A is shown in Figure 1 in the
design guide.
SOFT-START AND VOLTAGE TRACKING
The SS/TRK pin is a dual function pin that can be used to set
the startup time or track an external voltage source. The startup or soft-start time can be adjusted by connecting a capacitor
from the SS/TRK pin to ground. The soft-start feature allows
the regulator output to gradually reach the steady state operating point, thus reducing stresses on the input supply and
controlling startup current. If no soft-start capacitor is used the
device defaults to the internal soft-start circuitry resulting in a
startup time of approximately 1 ms. For applications that require a monotonic startup or utilize the PGOOD pin, an external soft-start capacitor is recommended. The SS/TRK pin
can also be set to track an external voltage source. The tracking behavior can be adjusted by two external resistors connected to the SS/TRK pin as shown in Figure 6 in the design
guide.
PRE-BIAS STARTUP CAPABILITY
The LM20323A is in a pre-biased state when it starts up with
an output voltage greater than zero. This often occurs in many
multi-rail applications such as when powering an FPGA,
ASIC, or DSP. In these applications the output can be prebiased through parasitic conduction paths from one supply
rail to another. Even though the LM20323A is a synchronous
converter, it will not pull the output low when a pre-bias condition exists. During start up the LM20323A will not sink
current until the soft-start voltage exceeds the voltage on the
FB pin. Since the device cannot sink current, it protects the
load from damage that might otherwise occur if current is
conducted through the parasitic paths of the load.
PRECISION ENABLE
The enable (EN) pin allows the output of the device to be enabled or disabled with an external control signal. This pin is a
precision analog input that enables the device when the voltage exceeds 1.25V (typical). The EN pin has 50 mV of hysteresis and will disable the output when the enable voltage
falls below 1.2V (typical). If the EN pin is not used, it should
be disconnected so the internal 2 µA pull-up will default this
function to the enabled condition. Since the enable pin has a
precise turn-on threshold it can be used along with an external
resistor divider network from VIN to configure the device to
turn-on at a precise input voltage. The precision enable circuitry will remain active even when the device is disabled.
POWER GOOD AND OVER VOLTAGE FAULT HANDLING
The LM20323A has built in under and over voltage comparators that control the power switches. Whenever there is an
excursion in output voltage above the set OVP threshold, the
part will terminate the present on-pulse, turn-on the low-side
FET, and pull the PGOOD pin low. The low-side FET will remain on until either the FB voltage falls back into regulation
or the negative current limit is triggered which in turn tri-states
the FETs. If the output reaches the UVP threshold the part will
continue switching and the PGOOD pin will be deasserted
and go low. Typical values for the PGOOD resistor are on the
order of 100 kΩ or less. To avoid false tripping during transient
glitches the PGOOD pin has 20 µs of built in deglitch time to
both rising and falling edges.
PEAK CURRENT MODE CONTROL
In most cases, the peak current mode control architecture
used in the LM20323A only requires two external components
to achieve a stable design. The compensation can be selected to accommodate any capacitor type or value. The external
compensation also allows the user to set the crossover frequency and optimize the transient performance of the device.
For duty cycles above 50% all peak current mode control buck
converters require the addition of an artificial ramp to avoid
sub-harmonic oscillation. This artificial linear ramp is commonly referred to as slope compensation. What makes the
LM20323A unique is the amount of slope compensation will
change depending on the output voltage. When operating at
high output voltages the device will have more slope compensation than when operating at lower output voltages. This
is accomplished in the LM20323A by using a non-linear
parabolic ramp for the slope compensation. The parabolic
slope compensation of the LM20323A is an improvement
over the traditional linear slope compensation because it optimizes the stability of the device over the entire output voltage
range.
UVLO
The LM20323A has an internal under-voltage lockout protection circuit that keeps the device from switching until the input
voltage reaches 4.25V (typical). The UVLO threshold has 350
mV of hysteresis that keeps the device from responding to
power-on glitches during start up. If desired the turn-on point
of the supply can be changed by using the precision enable
pin and a resistor divider network connected to VIN as shown
in Figure 5 in the design guide.
CURRENT LIMIT
The precise current limit enables the device to operate with
smaller inductors that have lower saturation currents. When
the peak inductor current reaches the current limit threshold,
an over current event is triggered and the internal high-side
FET turns off and the low-side FET turns on, allowing the inductor current to ramp down until the next switching cycle. For
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THERMAL PROTECTION
Internal thermal shutdown circuitry is provided to protect the
integrated circuit in the event that the maximum junction temperature is exceeded. When activated, typically at 170°C, the
10
power supply. As with any DC-DC converter numerous tradeoffs are possible to optimize the design for efficiency, size, or
performance. These will be taken into account and highlighted throughout this discussion. To facilitate component selection discussions the circuit shown in Figure 1 below may be
used as a reference. Unless otherwise indicated, all formulas
assume units of amps (A) for current, farads (F) for capacitance, henries (H) for inductance and volts (V) for voltages.
Design Guide
This section walks the designer through the steps necessary
to select the external components to build a fully functional
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FIGURE 1. Typical Application Circuit
The first equation to calculate for any buck converter is dutycycle. Ignoring conduction losses associated with the FETs
and parasitic resistances it can be approximated by:
INDUCTOR SELECTION (L)
The inductor value is determined based on the operating frequency, load current, ripple current and duty cycle.
The inductor selected should have a saturation current rating
greater than the peak current limit of the device. Keep in mind
the specified current limit does not account for delay of the
current limit comparator, therefore the current limit in the application may be higher than the specified value. To optimize
the performance and prevent the device from entering current
limit at maximum load, the inductance is typically selected
such that the ripple current, ΔiL, is not greater than 30% of the
rated output current. Figure 2 illustrates the switch and inductor ripple current waveforms. Once the input voltage, output voltage, operating frequency and desired ripple current
are known, the minimum value for the inductor can be calculated by the formula shown below:
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FIGURE 2. Switch and Inductor Current Waveforms
If needed, slightly smaller value inductors can be used, however, the peak inductor current, IOUT + ΔiL/2, should be kept
below the peak current limit of the device. In general, the inductor ripple current, ΔiL, should be more than 10% of the
rated output current to provide adequate current sense information for the current mode control loop. If the ripple current
in the inductor is too low, the control loop will not have sufficient current sense information and can be prone to instability.
OUTPUT CAPACITOR SELECTION (COUT)
The output capacitor, COUT, filters the inductor ripple current
and provides a source of charge for transient load conditions.
A wide range of output capacitors may be used with the
LM20323A that provide excellent performance. The best performance is typically obtained using ceramic, SP or OSCON
type chemistries. Typical trade-offs are that the ceramic capacitor provides extremely low ESR to reduce the output
ripple voltage and noise spikes, while the SP and OSCON
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LM20323A
LM20323A tri-states the power FETs and resets soft-start.
After the junction cools to approximately 150°C, the part starts
up using the normal start up routine. This feature is provided
to prevent catastrophic failures from accidental device overheating.
LM20323A
in parallel with higher capacitance capacitors to provide the
best input filtering for the device.
capacitors provide a large bulk capacitance in a small volume
for transient loading conditions.
When selecting the value for the output capacitor, the two
performance characteristics to consider are the output voltage ripple and transient response. The output voltage ripple
can be approximated by using the following formula:
SETTING THE OUTPUT VOLTAGE (RFB1, RFB2)
The resistors RFB1 and RFB2 are selected to set the output
voltage for the device. provides suggestions for RFB1 and
RFB2 for common output voltages.
TABLE 1. Suggested Values for RFB1 and RFB2
where, ΔVOUT (V) is the amount of peak to peak voltage ripple
at the power supply output, RESR (Ω) is the series resistance
of the output capacitor, fSW(Hz) is the switching frequency,
and COUT (F) is the output capacitance used in the design.
The amount of output ripple that can be tolerated is application specific; however a general recommendation is to keep
the output ripple less than 1% of the rated output voltage.
Keep in mind ceramic capacitors are sometimes preferred
because they have very low ESR; however, depending on
package and voltage rating of the capacitor the value of the
capacitance can drop significantly with applied voltage. The
output capacitor selection will also affect the output voltage
droop during a load transient. The peak droop on the output
voltage during a load transient is dependent on many factors;
however, an approximation of the transient droop ignoring
loop bandwidth can be obtained using the following equation:
RFB2(kΩ)
VOUT
short
open
0.8
4.99
10
1.2
8.87
10.2
1.5
12.7
10.2
1.8
21.5
10.2
2.5
31.6
10.2
3.3
52.3
10
5.0
If different output voltages are required, RFB2 should be selected to be between 4.99 kΩ to 49.9 kΩ and RFB1 can be
calculated using the equation below.
LOOP COMPENSATION (RC1, CC1)
The purpose of loop compensation is to meet static and dynamic performance requirements while maintaining adequate
stability. Optimal loop compensation depends on the output
capacitor, inductor, load and the device itself. Table 2 below
gives values for the compensation network that will result in
a stable system when using a 150 µF, 6.3V POSCAP (6TPB150MAZB) output capacitor.
where, COUT (F) is the minimum required output capacitance,
L (H) is the value of the inductor, VDROOP (V) is the output
voltage drop ignoring loop bandwidth considerations, ΔIOUTSTEP (A) is the load step change, RESR (Ω) is the output
capacitor ESR, VIN (V) is the input voltage, and VOUT (V) is
the set regulator output voltage. Both the tolerance and voltage coefficient of the capacitor should be examined when
designing for a specific output ripple or transient droop target.
TABLE 2. Recommended Compensation for
COUT = 150 µF, IOUT = 3A
VIN
INPUT CAPACITOR SELECTION
Good quality input capacitors are necessary to limit the ripple
voltage at the VIN pin while supplying most of the switch current during the on-time. In general it is recommended to use
a ceramic capacitor for the input as they provide both a low
impedance and small footprint. One important note is to use
a good dielectric for the ceramic capacitor such as X5R or
X7R. These provide better over temperature performance
and also minimize the DC voltage derating that occurs on Y5V
capacitors. The input capacitors CIN1 and CIN2 should be
placed as close as possible to the VIN and GND pins on both
sides of the device.
Non-ceramic input capacitors should be selected for RMS
current rating and minimum ripple voltage. A good approximation for the required ripple current rating is given by the
relationship:
VOUT
L (µH)
RC (kΩ) CC1 (nF)
12
5
6.8
45.3
4.7
12
3.3
5.6
32.4
4.7
12
2.5
4.7
30.9
3.3
12
1.5
3.3
19.1
3.3
12
1.2
2.2
21.5
2.2
12
0.8
1.5
15
2.2
5
3.3
2.2
29.4
2.2
5
2.5
3.3
37.4
2.2
5
1.5
2.2
26.7
2.2
5
1.2
2
22.1
2.2
5
0.8
1.5
15
2.2
If the desired solution differs from the table above the loop
transfer function should be analyzed to optimize the loop
compensation. The overall loop transfer function is the product of the power stage and the feedback network transfer
functions. For stability purposes, the objective is to have a
loop gain slope that is -20dB/decade from a very low frequency to beyond the crossover frequency. Figure 3 shows the
transfer functions for power stage, feedback/compensation
network, and the resulting compensated loop for the
LM20323A.
As indicated by the RMS ripple current equation, highest requirement for RMS current rating occurs at 50% duty cycle.
For this case, the RMS ripple current rating of the input capacitor should be greater than half the output current. For best
performance, low ESR ceramic capacitors should be placed
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RFB1(kΩ)
12
BOOT CAPACITOR (CBOOT)
The LM20323A integrates an N-channel buck switch and associated floating high voltage level shift / gate driver. This gate
driver circuit works in conjunction with an internal diode and
an external bootstrap capacitor. A 0.1 µF ceramic capacitor,
connected with short traces between the BOOT pin and SW
pin, is recommended. During the off-time of the buck switch,
the SW pin voltage is approximately 0V and the bootstrap capacitor is charged from VCC through the internal bootstrap
diode.
SUB-REGULATOR BYPASS CAPACITOR (CVCC)
The capacitor at the VCC pin provides noise filtering for the
internal sub-regulator. The recommended value of CVCC
should be no smaller than 0.1 µF and no greater than 1 µF.
The capacitor should be a good quality ceramic X5R or X7R
capacitor. In general, a 1 µF ceramic capacitor is recommended for most applications. The VCC regulator should not
be used for other functions since it isn't protected against
short circuit.
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FIGURE 3. LM20323A Loop Compensation
The power stage transfer function is dictated by the modulator, output LC filter, and load; while the feedback transfer
function is set by the feedback resistor ratio, error amp gain
and external compensation network.
To achieve a -20dB/decade slope, the error amplifier zero,
located at fZ(EA), should be positioned to cancel the output filter pole (fP(FIL)).
Compensation of the LM20323A is achieved by adding an RC
network as shown in Figure 4 below.
SETTING THE START UP TIME (CSS)
The addition of a capacitor connected from the SS pin to
ground sets the time at which the output voltage will reach the
final regulated value. Larger values for CSS will result in longer
start up times. Table 3, shown below provides a list of soft
start capacitors and the corresponding typical start up times.
TABLE 3. Start Up Times for Different Soft-Start
Capacitors
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Start Up Time (ms)
CSS (nF)
1
none
5
33
10
68
15
100
20
120
If different start up times are needed the equation shown below can be used to calculate the start up time.
FIGURE 4. Compensation Network for LM20323A
A good starting value for CC1 for most applications is 2.2 nF.
Once the value of CC1 is chosen the value of RC1 should be
approximated using the equation below to cancel the output
filter pole (fP(FIL)) as shown in Figure 3.
As shown above, the start up time is influenced by the value
of the soft-start capacitor CSS and the 4.5 µA soft-start pin
current ISS.
While the soft-start capacitor can be sized to meet many start
up requirements, there are limitations to its size. The soft-start
13
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LM20323A
A higher crossover frequency can be obtained, usually at the
expense of phase margin, by lowering the value of CC1 and
recalculating the value of RC1. Likewise, increasing CC1 and
recalculating RC1 will provide additional phase margin at a
lower crossover frequency. As with any attempt to compensate the LM20323A the stability of the system should be
verified for desired transient droop and settling time.
For low duty cycle operation, when the on-time of the switch
node is less than 200ns, an additional capacitor (CC2) should
be added from the COMP pin to AGND. The recommended
value of this capacitor is 20pF. If low duty cycle jitter on the
switch node is observed, the value of this capacitor can be
increased to improve noise immunity; however, values much
larger than 100pF will cause the pole fP2(EA) to move to a lower
frequency degrading the loop stability.
LM20323A
time can never be faster than 1 ms due to the internal default
1 ms start up time. When the device is enabled there is an
approximate time interval of 50 µs when the soft-start capacitor will be discharged just prior to the soft-start ramp. If the
enable pin is rapidly pulsed or the soft-start capacitor is large
there may not be enough time for CSS to completely discharge
resulting in start up times less than predicted. To aid in discharging of soft-start capacitor during long disable periods an
external 1MΩ resistor from SS/TRK to ground can be used
without greatly affecting the start up time.
30077261
USING PRECISION ENABLE AND POWER GOOD
The precision enable (EN) and power good (PGOOD) pins of
the LM20323A can be used to address many sequencing requirements. The turn-on of the LM20323A can be controlled
with the precision enable pin by using two external resistors
as shown in Figure 5 .
FIGURE 6. Tracking an External Supply
Since the soft-start charging current ISS is always present on
the SS/TRK pin, the size of R2 should be less than 10 kΩ to
minimize the errors in the tracking output. Once a value for
R2 is selected the value for R1 can be calculated using appropriate equation in Figure 7, to give the desired start up.
Figure 6 shows two common start up sequences; the top
waveform shows a simultaneous start up while the waveform
at the bottom illustrates a ratiometric start up.
30077262
FIGURE 5. Sequencing LM20323A with Precision Enable
The value for resistor RB can be selected by the user to control
the current through the divider. Typically this resistor will be
selected to be between 1 kΩ and 49.9 kΩ. Once the value for
RB is chosen the resistor RA can be solved using the equation
below to set the desired turn-on voltage.
When designing for a specific turn-on threshold (VTO) the tolerance on the input supply, enable threshold (VIH_EN), and
external resistors need to be considered to ensure proper
turn-on of the device.
The LM20323A features an open drain power good (PGOOD)
pin to sequence external supplies or loads and to provide fault
detection. This pin requires an external resistor (RPG) to pull
PGOOD high when the output is within the PGOOD tolerance
window. Typical values for this resistor range from 10 kΩ to
100 kΩ.
30077278
FIGURE 7. Common Start Up Sequences
TRACKING AN EXTERNAL SUPPLY
By using a properly chosen resistor divider network connected to the SS/TRK pin, as shown in Figure 6, the output of the
LM20323A can be configured to track an external voltage
source to obtain a simultaneous or ratiometric start up.
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A simultaneous start up is preferred when powering most FPGAs, DSPs, or other microprocessors. In these systems the
higher voltage, VOUT1, usually powers the I/O, and the lower
voltage, VOUT2, powers the core. A simultaneous start up provides a more robust power up for these applications since it
avoids turning on any parasitic conduction paths that may exist between the core and the I/O pins of the processor.
The second most common power on behavior is known as a
ratiometric start up. This start up is preferred in applications
where both supplies need to be at the final value at the same
time.
14
Figure 8 and Figure 9 can be used as a guide to avoid exceeding the maximum junction temperature of 125°C provided an external 1A Schottky diode, such as Central
Semiconductor's CMMSH1-40-NST, is used to improve reverse recovery losses.
BENEFIT OF AN EXTERNAL SCHOTTKY
The LM20323A employs a 40ns dead time between conduction of the control and synchronous FETs in order to avoid the
situation where both FETs simultaneously conduct, causing
shoot-through current. During the dead time, the body diode
of the synchronous FET acts as a free-wheeling diode and
conducts the inductor current. The structure of the high voltage DMOS is optimized for high breakdown voltage, but this
typically leads to inefficient body diode conduction due to the
reverse recovery charge. The loss associated with the reverse recovery of the body diode of the synchronous FET
manifests itself as a loss proportional to load current and
switching frequency. The additional efficiency loss becomes
apparent at higher input voltages and switching frequencies.
One simple solution is to use a small 1A external Schottky
diode between SW and GND as shown in Figure 12. The external Schottky diode effectively conducts all inductor current
during the dead time, minimizing the current passing through
the synchronous MOSFET body diode and eliminating reverse recovery losses.
The external Schottky conducts currents for a very small portion of the switching cycle, therefore the average current is
low. An external Schottky rated for 1A will improve efficiency
by several percent in some applications. A Schottky rated at
a higher current will not significantly improve efficiency and
may be worse due to the increased reverse capacitance. The
forward voltage of the synchronous MOSFET body diode is
approximately 700 mV, therefore an external Schottky with a
forward voltage less than or equal to 700 mV should be selected to ensure the majority of the dead time current is carried
by the Schottky.
30077288
FIGURE 8. Safe Thermal Operating Areas (IOUT = 3A)
THERMAL CONSIDERATIONS
The thermal characteristics of the LM20323A are specified
using the parameter θJA, which relates the junction temperature to the ambient temperature. Although the value of θJA is
dependant on many variables, it still can be used to approximate the operating junction temperature of the device.
To obtain an estimate of the device junction temperature, one
may use the following relationship:
30077290
TJ = PD x θJA + TA
FIGURE 9. Safe Thermal Operating Areas (IOUT = 2.5A)
and
The dashed lines in Figure 8 and Figure 9 show an approximation of the minimum and maximum duty cycle limitations;
while, the solid lines define areas of operation for a given ambient temperature. This data for the figure was derived assuming the device is operating at 3A continuous output
current on a 4 layer PCB with an copper area greater than 4
square inches exhibiting a thermal characteristic less than 27
°C/W. Since the internal losses are dominated by the FETs a
slight reduction in current by 500mA allows for much larger
regions of operation, as shown in Figure 10.
Figure 10 provides a better approximation of the θJA for a given PCB copper area. The PCB used in this test consisted of
4 layers: 1oz. copper was used for the internal layers while
the external layers were plated to 2oz. copper weight. To provide an optimal thermal connection, a 5 x 4 array of 12 mil
thermal vias located under the thermal pad was used to connect the 4 layers.
PD = PIN x (1 - Efficiency) - 1.1 x (IOUT)2 x DCR
Where:
TJ is the junction temperature in °C.
PIN is the input power in Watts (PIN = VIN x IIN).
θJA is the junction to ambient thermal resistance for the
LM20323A.
TA is the ambient temperature in °C.
IOUT is the output load current.
DCR is the inductor series resistance.
It is important to always keep the operating junction temperature (TJ) below 125°C for reliable operation. If the junction
temperature exceeds 170°C the device will cycle in and out
of thermal shutdown. If thermal shutdown occurs it is a sign
of inadequate heatsinking or excessive power dissipation in
the device.
15
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LM20323A
Similar to the soft-start function, the fastest start up possible
is 1ms regardless of the rise time of the tracking voltage.
When using the track feature the final voltage seen by the SS/
TRACK pin should exceed 1V to provide sufficient overdrive
and transient immunity.
LM20323A
input and output capacitor should consist of a small localized
top side plane that connects to GND and the exposed pad
(EP). The inductor should be placed as close as possible to
the SW pin and output capacitor.
2. Minimize the copper area of the switch node. Since the
LM20323A has the SW pins on opposite sides of the package
it is recommended that the SW pins should be connected with
a trace that runs around the package. The inductor should be
placed at an equal distance from the SW pins using 100 mil
wide traces to minimize capacitive and conductive losses.
3. Have a single point ground for all device grounds located
under the EP. The ground connections for the compensation,
feedback, and soft-start components should be connected
together then routed to the EP pin of the device. The AGND
pin should connect to GND under the EP. If not properly handled poor grounding can result in degraded load regulation or
erratic switching behavior.
4. Minimize trace length to the FB pin. Since the feedback
node can be high impedance the trace from the output resistor
divider to FB pin should be as short as possible. This is most
important when high value resistors are used to set the output
voltage. The feedback trace should be routed away from the
SW pin and inductor to avoid contaminating the feedback signal with switch noise.
5. Make input and output bus connections as wide as possible. This reduces any voltage drops on the input or output of
the converter and can improve efficiency. Voltage accuracy
at the load is important so make sure feedback voltage sense
is made at the load. Doing so will correct for voltage drops at
the load and provide the best output accuracy.
6. Provide adequate device heatsinking. For most 3A designs
a four layer board is recommended. Use as many vias as is
possible to connect the EP to the power plane heatsink. For
best results use a 5x4 via array with a minimum via diameter
of 12 mils. "Via tenting" with the solder mask may be necessary to prevent wicking of the solder paste applied to the EP.
See the Thermal Considerations section to ensure enough
copper heatsinking area is used to keep the junction temperature below 125°C.
30077287
FIGURE 10. Thermal Resistance vs PCB Area (4 Layer
Board)
PCB LAYOUT CONSIDERATIONS
PC board layout is an important part of DC-DC converter design. Poor board layout can disrupt the performance of a DCDC converter and surrounding circuitry by contributing to EMI,
ground bounce, and resistive voltage loss in the traces. These
can send erroneous signals to the DC-DC converter resulting
in poor regulation or instability.
Good layout can be implemented by following a few simple
design rules.
1. Minimize area of switched current loops. In a buck regulator
there are two loops where currents are switched at high slew
rates. The first loop starts from the input capacitor, to the regulator VIN pin, to the regulator SW pin, to the inductor then
out to the output capacitor and load. The second loop starts
from the output capacitor ground, to the regulator GND pins,
to the inductor and then out to the load (see Figure 11). To
minimize both loop areas the input capacitor should be placed
as close as possible to the VIN pin. Grounding for both the
30077246
FIGURE 11. Schematic of LM20323A Highlighting Layout Sensitive Nodes
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16
LM20323A
30077244
FIGURE 12. Typical Application Schematic
Bill of Materials (VIN = 12V, VOUT = 3.3V, IOUT = 3A)
ID
Qty
Part Number
Size
Description
Vendor
U1
1
LM20323AMH
eTSSOP-20
IC, Switching Regulator
NSC
C1
1
C3225X5R1E226M
1210
22µF, X5R, 25V, 20%
TDK
C2, C3
2
GRM21BR61E475KA12L
0805
4.7µF, X5R, 25V, 10%
MuRata
C5, C6
1
C1608X7R1H104K
0603
100nF, X7R, 50V, 10%
TDK
C4
1
C1608X5R1A105K
0603
1µF, X7R, 10V, 10%
TDK
C7
1
C1608C0G1H100J
0603
10pF, C0G, 50V, 5%
TDK
C8
1
C1608C0G1H102J
0603
1nF, C0G, 50V, 5%
TDK
C9
1
6TPB150MAZB
B
150µF,POSCAP, 6.3V, 20%
Sanyo
D1
1
CMMSH1-40-NST
SOD123
Vr = 40V, Io = 1A, Vf = 0.55V
Central
Semiconductor
L1
1
IHLP4040DZER5R6M01
IHLP4040
5.6µH, 0.018 Ohms, 16A
Vishay
R1, R4
2
CRCW06031002F
0603
10kΩ, 1%
Vishay
R2
1
CRCW06034992F
0603
49.9kΩ, 1%
Vishay
R3
1
CRCW06033092F
0603
30.9kΩ, 1%
Vishay
17
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LM20323A
Physical Dimensions inches (millimeters) unless otherwise noted
20-Lead eTSSOP Package
NS Package Number MXA20A
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18
LM20323A
Notes
19
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LM20323A 36V, 3A 500 kHz Synchronous Buck Regulator
Notes
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