LTC3858_15 Datasheet, PDF (25/38 Pages) Linear Technology – Low IQ, Dual 2-Phase Synchronous Step-Down Controller

LTC3858
APPLICATIONS INFORMATION
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_IN • 2 • I_O(MAX) • C_RSS • f
Other “hidden” losses such as copper trace and internal
battery resistances 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 adequate 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. The
LTC3858 2-phase architecture typically halves this input
capacitance requirement over competing solutions.
Other losses including Schottky conduction 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. OPTI-
LOOP compensation allows the transient response to be
optimized over a wide range of output capacitance and
ESR values. The availability of the I_TH pin not only allows
optimization of control loop behavior, but it 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 Figure 12 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 breaking
the feedback loop.
Placing a resistive load and 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 gain of the loop will be increased by increasing R_C
and the bandwidth of the loop will be increased by de-
creasing 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 stability of the
closed-loop system and will demonstrate the actual overall
supply performance.
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