TYPICAL APPLICATIONS
NOTE: Freescale does not assume liability, endorse, or warrant
components from external manufacturers referenced in figures
or tables. Although Freescale offers component
recommendations, it is the customer’s responsibility to validate
their application.
Linear Regulator Current Limit
As described in the Linear Regulator Functional
Description section, the current limit of the linear regulator
can be adjusted by means of an external current sense
resistor RS. The voltage drop caused by the regulator output
current flowing through the current sense resistor RS is
sensed between the LDO and the CS pins. When the sensed
voltage exceeds 50 mV (typical), the current limit timer starts
to time out while the control circuit limits the output current. If
the overcurrent condition lasts for more than 10 ms, the linear
regulator is shut off and turned on again after 100 ms. This
type of operation provides equivalent protection to the analog
“current foldback” operation.
*When mounted to an FR4 using 0.5 sq.in. drain pad size
The maximum power dissipation is limited by the
maximum operating junction temperature TJmax. The
allowed power dissipation in the given application can be
calculated from the following expression:
TJmax – TA
--------------------------------------------------------
≤
PD(Q)max
R
thJC + RthCB + RthBA
It is important to keep in mind that the amount of capacitive
load which can be supplied by the by the linear regulator is
limited by the setting of the LDO current limit. During the
power-up period, the linear regulator operates in the current
limit, supplying the current into the load of the LDO, which
includes all the capacitors connected to the regulator output.
If the total amount load is so large that the regulator could not
reach its regulation voltage in 10 ms during the power-up, it
turns off and tries to power up again after 100 ms. This
situation may lead to the power-up oscillations.
Where PD(Q)max is the power MOSFET maximum
allowed dissipation,
TJmax is the power MOSFET maximum operating
junction temperature,
TA is the ambient temperature,
RthJC is the power MOSFET thermal resistance
junction-to-case,
RthCB is the thermal resistance case-to-board,
RthBA is the thermal resistance board-to-ambient of
the PC board.
Linear Regulator External MOSFET
PCB Layout Considerations
The linear regulator uses an external N-channel power
MOSFET to provide a pass element for the power path. The
selection of the proper type of the external power MOSFET is
critical for optimum performance and safe operation of the
linear regulator.
As with any power application, the proper PCB layout
plays a critical role in the overall power regulator
performance. While good careful printed circuit board layout
significantly improves regulation parameters and
electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) performance of the
switching regulator, poor layout practices can lead not only to
significant degradation of regulation and EMC parameters
but even to total dysfunction of the whole regulator IC.
The power MOSFET’s threshold voltage, RDS(on), gate
charge, capacitances and transconductance are important
parameters for the stable operation of the linear regulator
while the package of the power MOSFET determines the
maximum power dissipation, and hence the maximum output
current for the required input-to-output voltage drop. The
power dissipation of the external MOSFET can be calculated
from the simple formula:
Extreme care should be taken when laying out the ground
of the regulator circuit. In order to avoid any inductive or
capacitive coupling of the switching regulator noise into the
sensitive analog control circuits, the noisy power ground and
the clean quiet signal ground should be well separated on the
printed circuit board, and connected only at one connection
point. The power routing should be made by heavy traces or
areas of copper. The power path and its return should be
placed, if possible, atop each other on the different layers or
opposite sides of the PC board. The switching regulator input
and output capacitors should be physically placed very close
to the power pins (VIN2, SW, PGND) of the 34701 switching
regulator; and their ground pins, together with the 34701
power ground pins (PGND), should be connected by a single
island of the power ground copper to create the “single-point”
grounding. Figure 32 illustrates the 34701 switching regulator
grounding concept. The bootstrap capacitor Cb should be
tightly connected to the integrated circuit as well.
PD(Q) = ILDO × (VIN – VLDO
)
Where PD(Q) is the power MOSFET power dissipation
VIN is the LDO input voltage,
VLDO is the LDO output voltage,
ILDO is the LDO output load current.
Table 10 shows the recommended power MOSFET types
for the 34701 linear regulator, their typical power dissipation,
and thermal resistance junction-to-case.
Table 10. Recommended Power MOSFETs
Part No.
Package
Typ. PD
RthJ-C
IRL2703S
D2PAK
DPAK
2.0 W
3.3 °C/W
MTD20N03HDL
1.75 W*
1.67 °C/W
34701
Analog Integrated Circuit Device Data
Freescale Semiconductor
32
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