LTC3851A_15 Datasheet, PDF (21/30 Pages) Linear Technology – Synchronous Step-Down Switching Regulator Controller

LTC3851A
Applications Information
3. I²R losses are predicted from the DC resistances of
the fuse (if used), MOSFET, inductor and current sense
resistor. In continuous mode, the average output current
flows through L and R_SENSE, but is chopped between
the topside MOSFET and the synchronous MOSFET. If
the two MOSFETs have approximately the same R_DS(ON),
then the resistance of one MOSFET can simply be
summed with the resistances of L and R_SENSE to obtain
I²R losses. For example, if each R_DS(ON) = 10mΩ, DCR
= 10mΩ and R_SENSE = 5mΩ, then the total resistance
is 25mΩ. This results in losses ranging from 2% to
8% as the output current increases from 3A to 15A for
a 5V output, or a 3% to 12% loss for a 3.3V output.
Efficiency varies as the inverse square of V_OUT for the
same external components and output power level. The
combined effects of increasingly lower output voltages
and higher currents required by high performance digital
systems is not doubling but quadrupling the importance
of loss terms in the switching regulator system!
4. Transition losses apply only to the topside MOSFET(s),
and become significant only when operating at high
input voltages (typically 15V or greater). Transition
losses can be estimated from:
Transition Loss = (1.7)V_IN2 • I_O(MAX) • C_RSS • f
Other hidden losses such as copper trace and the battery
internal resistance can account for an additional 5% to
10% efficiency degradation in portable systems. It is very
important to include these system level losses during the
design phase. The internal battery and fuse resistance
losses can be minimized by making sure that C_IN has ad-
equate charge storage and very low ESR at the switch­ing
frequency. A 25W supply will typically require a minimum of
20μF to 40μF of capacitance having a maximum of 20mΩ
to 50mΩ of ESR. Other losses including Schottky con-
duction losses during dead time and inductor core losses
generally account for less than 2% total additional loss.
Checking Transient Response
The regulator loop response can be checked by looking at
the load current transient response. Switching regulators
take several cycles to respond to a step in DC (resistive)
load current. When a load step occurs, V_OUT shifts by an
amount equal to ∆I_LOAD (ESR), where ESR is the effective
series resistance of C_OUT. ∆I_LOAD also begins to charge or
discharge C_OUT generating the feedback error signal that
forces the regulator to adapt to the current change and
return V_OUT to its steady-state value. During this recovery
time V_OUT can be monitored for excessive overshoot or
ringing, which would indicate a stability problem. The
availability of the I_TH pin not only allows optimization of
control loop behavior but also provides a DC coupled and
AC filtered closed-loop response test point. The DC step,
rise time and settling at this test point truly reflects the
closed-loop response. Assuming a predominantly second
order system, phase margin and/or damping factor can be
estimated using the percentage of overshoot seen at this
pin. The bandwidth can also be estimated by examining the
rise time at the pin. The I_TH external components shown
in the Typical Application circuit will provide an adequate
starting point for most applications.
The I_TH series R_C-C_C filter sets the dominant pole-zero
loop compensation. The values can be modified slightly
(from 0.5 to 2 times their suggested values) to optimize
transient response once the final PC layout is done and
the particular output capacitor type and value have been
determined. The output capacitors need to be selected
because the various types and values determine the loop
gain and phase. An output current pulse of 20% to 80%
of full-load current having a rise time of 1μs to 10μs will
produce output voltage and I_TH pin waveforms that will
give a sense of the overall loop stability without break­
ing the feedback loop. Placing a power MOSFET directly
across the output capacitor and driving the gate with an
appropriate signal generator is a practical way to produce
a realistic load step condition. The initial output voltage
step resulting from the step change in output current may
not be within the bandwidth of the feedback loop, so this
signal cannot be used to determine phase margin. This is
why it is better to look at the I_TH pin signal which is in the
feedback loop and is the filtered and compensated control
loop response. The midband gain of the loop will be in­
creased by increasing R_C and the bandwidth of the loop
will be increased by decreasing C_C. If R_C is increased by
the same factor that C_C is decreased, the zero frequency
will be kept the same, thereby keeping the phase shift the
same in the most critical frequency range of the feedback
loop. The output voltage settling behavior is related to the
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