Application Notes: continued
5V to mP and
System
Power
VIN
VOUT
C1*
0.1mF
C **
2
10mF
CS-8121
R
RST
to mP
RESET
Port
RESET
ENABLE
C
RST
C1*required if regulator is located far from
the power supply filter.
C2** required for stability.
Figure 6: Test and application circuit showing output compensation.
Step 6: Test the load transient response by switching in
various loads at several frequencies to simulate its real
working environment. Vary the ESR to reduce ringing.
where:
VIN(max) is the maximum input voltage,
VOUT(min) is the minimum output voltage,
Step 7: Remove the unit from the environmental chamber
and heat the IC with a heat gun. Vary the load current as
instructed in step 5 to test for any oscillations.
IOUT(max) is the maximum output current for the applica-
tion, and
IQ is the quiescent current the regulator consumes at
Once the minimum capacitor value with the maximum
ESR is found, a safety factor should be added to allow for
the tolerance of the capacitor and any variations in regula-
tor performance. Most good quality aluminum electrolytic
capacitors have a tolerance of +/- 20% so the minimum
value found should be increased by at least 50% to allow
for this tolerance plus the variation which will occur at
low temperatures. The ESR of the capacitor should be less
than 50% of the maximum allowable ESR found in step 3
above.
IOUT(max)
.
Once the value of PD(max) is known, the maximum permis-
sible value of RQJA can be calculated:
150¡C - TA
(2)
RQJA
=
PD
The value of RQJA can then be compared with those in
the package section of the data sheet. Those packages
with RQJA's less than the calculated value in equation 2
will keep the die temperature below 150¡C.
Calculating Power Dissipation
in a Single Output Linear Regulator
In some cases, none of the packages will be sufficient to
dissipate the heat generated by the IC, and an external
heatsink will be required.
The maximum power dissipation for a single output regu-
lator (Figure 7) is:
PD(max) = VIN(max) - VOUT(min)}
I
OUT(max) + VIN(max) Q
I
(1)
{
Heat Sinks
A heat sink effectively increases the surface area of the
package to improve the flow of heat away from the IC
and into the surrounding air.
I
IN
Each material in the heat flow path between the IC and
the outside environment will have a thermal resistance.
Like series electrical resistances, these resistances are
I
OUT
V
IN
Smart
Regulator
V
OUT
summed to determine the value of RQJA
:
R
QJA = RQJC + RQCS + RQSA
(3)
Control
Features
}
where:
R
R
R
QJC = the junctionÐtoÐcase thermal resistance,
QCS = the caseÐtoÐheatsink thermal resistance, and
QSA = the heatsinkÐtoÐambient thermal resistance.
I
Q
R
R
QJC appears in the package section of the data sheet. Like
QJA, it too is a function of package type. RQCS and RQSA
are functions of the package type, heatsink and the inter-
face between them. These values appear in heat sink data
sheets of heat sink manufacturers.
Figure 7: Single output regulator with key performance parameters
labeled.
7
CHERRY [ CHERRY SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION ]
