ADP124/ADP125
Data Sheet
APPLICATIONS INFORMATION
CAPACITOR SELECTION
Output Capacitor
Input Bypass Capacitor
Connecting a 1 µF capacitor from VIN to GND reduces the circuit
sensitivity to the printed circuit board (PCB) layout, especially
when a long input trace or high source impedance is encountered.
If greater than 1 µF of output capacitance is required, the input
capacitor should be increased to match it.
The ADP124/ADP125 are designed for operation with small,
space-saving ceramic capacitors, but these devices can function
with most commonly used capacitors as long as care is taken to
ensure an appropriate effective series resistance (ESR) value. The
ESR of the output capacitor affects the stability of the LDO control
loop. A minimum of 0.70 µF capacitance with an ESR of 1 Ω or
less is recommended to ensure stability of the ADP124/ADP125.
The transient response to changes in load current is also affected by
the output capacitance. Using a larger value of output capacitance
improves the transient response of the ADP124/ADP125 to
dynamic changes in load current. Figure 30 and Figure 31 show
the transient responses for output capacitance values of 1 µF and
4.7 µF, respectively.
Input and Output Capacitor Properties
Any good quality ceramic capacitors can be used with the
ADP124/ADP125, as long as the capacitor meets the minimum
capacitance and maximum ESR requirements. Ceramic capacitors
are manufactured with a variety of dielectrics, each with different
behavior over temperature and applied voltage. Capacitors must
have an adequate dielectric to ensure the minimum capacitance
over the necessary temperature range and dc bias conditions.
Using an X5R or X7R dielectric with a voltage rating of 6.3 V or
10 V is recommended. However, using Y5V and Z5U dielectrics
are not recommended for any LDO, due to their poor temperature
and dc bias characteristics.
I
OUT
1mA TO 500mA LOAD STEP
1
Figure 32 depicts the capacitance vs. capacitor voltage bias charac-
teristics of an 0402, 1 µF, 10 V X5R capacitor. The voltage stability
of a capacitor is strongly influenced by the capacitor size and the
voltage rating. In general, a capacitor in a larger package or of a
higher voltage rating exhibits better stability. The temperature
variation of the X5R dielectric is about 15% over the −40°C to
+85°C temperature range and is not a function of package or
voltage rating.
2
V
OUT
V
V
= 4V
= 3.3V
IN
OUT
1.10
B
CH1 500mA Ω B CH2 50.0mV
M400ns
W
A CH1 200mA
W
T
13.20%
1.05
1.00
0.95
0.90
0.85
0.80
0.75
0.70
Figure 30. Output Transient Response, COUT = 1 µF
I
OUT
1mA TO 500mA LOAD STEP
1
2
V
OUT
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
BIAS VOLTAGE (V)
V
V
= 4V
= 3.3V
IN
OUT
Figure 32. Capacitance vs. Capacitor Voltage Bias Characteristics
Equation 1 can be used to determine the worst-case capacitance,
accounting for capacitor variation over temperature, component
tolerance, and voltage.
B
CH1 500mA Ω B CH2 50.0mV
M400ns
W
A CH1 200mA
W
T
13.60%
Figure 31. Output Transient Response, COUT = 4.7 µF
CEFF = C × (1 − TEMPCO) × (1 − TOL)
(1)
where:
C
EFF is the effective capacitance at the operating voltage.
C is the rated capacitance value.
TEMPCO is the worst-case capacitor temperature coefficient.
TOL is the worst-case component tolerance.
Rev. C | Page 12 of 20
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