ML4872
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS (Continued)
OUTPUTCAPACITOR
between 0.5A and 1.5A. This fast change in current
through the capacitor’s ESL causes a high frequency (5ns)
spike to appear on the output. After the ESL spike settles,
the output still has a ripple component equal to the
inductor discharge current times the ESR. To minimize
these effects, choose an output capacitor with less than
10nH of ESL and 100mW of ESR.
The output capacitor filters the pulses of current from the
switching regulator. Since the switching frequency will
vary with inductance, the minimum output capacitance
required to reduce the output ripple to an acceptable
level will be a function of the inductor used. Therefore, to
maintain an output voltage with less than 100mV of ripple
at full load current, use the following equation:
Suitable tantalum capacitors can be obtained from the
following vendors:
44 L
VOUT
COUT
=
(2)
AVX
(207) 282-5111
(846) 963-6300
(207) 324-4140
The output capacitor’s Equivalent Series Resistance (ESR)
and Equivalent Series Inductance (ESL), also contribute to
the ripple. Just after the NMOS transistor, Q1, turns off,
the current in the output capacitor ramps quickly to
Kemet
Sprague
1000
800
90
V
= 3.3V
OUT
V
= 3.3V
OUT
80
70
60
600
400
200
0
V
= 5V
OUT
V
= 5V
OUT
V
= 2.4V
IN
1.0
2.0
3.0
(V)
4.0
5.0
1
10
100
1000
V
I
(mA)
OUT
IN
Figure 4. I
vs. VIN Using the Circuit of Figure 8
Figure 5. Efficiency vs. I
Using the Circuit of Figure 8
OUT
OUT
90
V
= 5V
OUT
60
30
0
V
= 3.3V
OUT
1.0
2.0
3.0
(V)
4.0
5.0
V
IN
Figure 6. No Load Input Current vs. V
IN
6
MICRO-LINEAR [ MICRO LINEAR CORPORATION ]
