LTC3407-2_15 Datasheet, PDF (11/16 Pages) Linear Technology – Dual Synchronous, 800mA, 2.25MHz Step-Down DC/DC Regulator

LTC3407-2
APPLICATIONS INFORMATION
Although all dissipative elements in the circuit produce
losses, four main sources usually account for most of the
losses in LTC3407-2 circuits: 1) V_IN quiescent current, 2)
switching losses, 3) I²R losses, 4) other losses.
1. The V_IN current is the DC supply current given in the
Electrical Characteristics which excludes MOSFET driver
and control currents. V_IN current results in a small
(<0.1%) loss that increases with V_IN, even at no load.
2. The switching current is the sum of the MOSFET driver
and control currents. The MOSFET driver current re-
sults from switching the gate capacitance of the power
MOSFETs. Each time a MOSFET gate is switched from
low to high to low again, a packet of charge dQ moves
from V_IN to ground. The resulting dQ/dt is a current
out of V_IN that is typically much larger than the DC bias
current. In continuous mode, I_GATECHG = f_O(Q_T + Q_B),
where Q_T and Q_B are the gate charges of the internal
top and bottom MOSFET switches. The gate charge
losses are proportional to V_IN and thus their effects will
be more pronounced at higher supply voltages.
3. I²R losses are calculated from the DC resistances of
the internal switches, R_SW, and external inductor, R_L.
In continuous mode, the average output current flows
through inductor L, but is “chopped” between the inter-
nal top and bottom switches. Thus, the series resistance
looking into the SW pin is a function of both top and
bottom MOSFET R_DS(ON) and the duty cycle (DC):
R_SW = (R_DS(ON)TOP)(DC) + (R_DS(ON)BOT)(1 – DC)
The R_DS(ON) for both the top and bottom MOSFETs can
be obtained from the Typical Performance Character-
istics curves. Thus, to obtain I²R losses:
I²R losses = (I_OUT)²(R_SW + R_L)
4. Other “hidden” losses such as copper trace and internal
battery resistances can account for additional efficiency
degradations in portable systems. It is very important
to include these system-level losses in the design of a
system. 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 fre-
quency. Other losses including diode conduction losses
during dead-time and inductor core losses generally
account for less than 2% total additional loss.
Thermal Considerations
In a majority of applications, the LTC3407-2 does not
dissipate much heat due to its high efficiency. However,
in applications where the LTC3407-2 is running at high
ambient temperature with low supply voltage and high
duty cycles, such as in dropout, the heat dissipated may
exceed the maximum junction temperature of the part. If
the junction temperature reaches approximately 150°C,
both power switches will turn off and the SW node will
become high impedance.
To prevent the LTC3407-2 from exceeding the maximum
junction temperature, the user will need to do some thermal
analysis. The goal of the thermal analysis is to determine
whether the power dissipated exceeds the maximum
junction temperature of the part. The temperature rise is
given by:
T_RISE = P_D • θ_JA
where P_D is the power dissipated by the regulator and θ_JA
is the thermal resistance from the junction of the die to
the ambient temperature.
The junction temperature, T_J, is given by:
T_J = T_RISE + T_AMBIENT
As an example, consider the case when the LTC3407-2 is
in dropout on both channels at an input voltage of 2.7V
with a load current of 800mA and an ambient temperature
of 70°C. From the Typical Performance Characteristics
graph of Switch Resistance, the R_DS(ON) resistance of
the main switch is 0.425Ω. Therefore, power dissipated
by each channel is:
P_D = (I_OUT)² • R_DS(ON) = 272mW
The MS package junction-to-ambient thermal resistance,
θ_JA, is 45°C/W. Therefore, the junction temperature of
the regulator operating in a 70°C ambient temperature is
approximately:
T_J = 2 • 0.272 • 45 + 70 = 94.5°C
which is below the absolute maximum junction tempera-
ture of 125°C.
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