ISL6440A Datasheet, PDF (13/16 Pages) Intersil Corporation – Advanced PWM and Triple Linear Power Controller for Gateway Applications

ISL6440A
Component Selection Guidelines
Output Capacitors
The output capacitors for each output have unique
requirements. In general, the output capacitors should be
selected to meet the dynamic regulation requirements.
Additionally, the PWM converters require an output capacitor
to filter the current ripple. The load transient for the
microprocessor core requires high quality capacitors to
supply the high slew rate (di/dt) current demands.
PWM Output
Modern microprocessors produce transient load rates above
1A/ns. High frequency capacitors initially supply the transient
current and slow the load rate-of-change seen by the bulk
capacitors. The bulk filter capacitor values are generally
determined by the ESR (effective series resistance) and
voltage rating requirements rather than actual capacitance
requirements.
High frequency decoupling capacitors should be placed as
close to the power pins of the load as physically possible. Be
careful not to add inductance in the circuit board wiring that
could cancel the usefulness of these low inductance
components. Consult with the manufacturer of the load on
specific decoupling requirements.
Use only specialized low-ESR capacitors intended for
switching-regulator applications for the bulk capacitors. The
bulk capacitor’s ESR determines the output ripple voltage and
the initial voltage drop following a high slew-rate transient’s
edge. An aluminum electrolytic capacitor’s ESR value is
related to the case size with lower ESR available in larger
case sizes. However, the equivalent series inductance (ESL)
of these capacitors increases with case size and can reduce
the usefulness of the capacitor to high slew-rate transient
loading. Unfortunately, ESL is not a specified parameter. Work
with your capacitor supplier and measure the capacitor’s
impedance with frequency to select a suitable component. In
most cases, multiple electrolytic capacitors of small case size
perform better than a single large case capacitor.
Linear Output Capacitors
The output capacitors for the linear regulators provide
dynamic load current. The linear controllers use dominant
pole compensation integrated into the error amplifier and are
insensitive to output capacitor selection. Output capacitors
should be selected for transient load regulation.
PWM Output Inductor
The PWM converter requires an output inductor. The output
inductor is selected to meet the output voltage ripple
requirements and sets the converter’s response time to a
load transient. The inductor value determines the converter’s
ripple current and the ripple voltage is a function of the ripple
current. The ripple voltage and current are approximated by
the following equations:
∆I = -^V----^I--^N-_F----–_S----^V-_×----^O-_L---^U----^T-- × ^V----_V-^O---_I-^U-_N----^T-
∆V_OUT = ∆I × ESR
Increasing the value of inductance reduces the ripple current
and voltage. However, the large inductance values increase
the converter’s response time to a load transient.
One of the parameters limiting the converter’s response to a
load transient is the time required to change the inductor
current. Given a sufficiently fast control loop design, the
ISL6440A will provide either 0% or 100% duty cycle in
response to a load transient. The response time is the time
interval required to slew the inductor current from an initial
current value to the post-transient current level. During this
interval the difference between the inductor current and the
transient current level must be supplied by the output
capacitor(s). Minimizing the response time can minimize the
output capacitance required.
The response time to a transient is different for the
application of load and the removal of load. The following
equations give the approximate response time interval for
application and removal of a transient load:
t_RISE = _V-^L----^OI--_N---^×--–---^I-_V-^T---^R-_O----^AU----^NT--
t_FALL = ^L----^O----_V--^×--_O---^I-^T-_U---^R-_T---^A----^N--
where: I_TRAN is the transient load current step, t_RISE is the
response time to the application of load, and t_FALL is the
response time to the removal of load. Be sure to check both
of these equations at the minimum and maximum output
levels for the worst case response time.
Input Capacitors
The important parameters for the bulk input capacitors are
the voltage rating and the RMS current rating. For reliable
operation, select bulk input capacitors with voltage and
current ratings above the maximum input voltage and largest
RMS current required by the circuit. The capacitor voltage
rating should be at least 1.25 times greater than the
maximum input voltage and a voltage rating of 1.5 times is a
conservative guideline. The RMS current rating requirement
for the input capacitor of a buck regulator is approximately
½ the summation of the DC load current.
Use a mix of input bypass capacitors to control the voltage
overshoot across the MOSFETs. Use ceramic capacitance
for the high frequency decoupling and bulk capacitors to
supply the RMS current. Small ceramic capacitors can be
placed very close to the upper MOSFET to suppress the
voltage induced in the parasitic circuit impedances.
For a through-hole design, several electrolytic capacitors
(Panasonic HFQ series or Nichicon PL series or Sanyo MV-GX
or equivalent) may be needed. For surface mount designs,
solid tantalum capacitors can be used, but caution must be
exercised with regard to the capacitor surge current rating.
These capacitors must be capable of handling the surge-
current at power-up. The TPS series available from AVX, and
the 593D series from Sprague are both surge current tested.
13