NCP161
www.onsemi.com
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APPLICATIONS INFORMATION
General
The NCP161 is an ultra−low noise 450 mA low dropout
regulator designed to meet the requirements of RF
applications and high performance analog circuits. The
NCP161 device provides very high PSRR and excellent
dynamic response. In connection with low quiescent current
this device is well suitable for battery powered application
such as cell phones, tablets and other. The NCP161 is fully
protected in case of current overload, output short circuit and
overheating.
Input Capacitor Selection (CIN)
Input capacitor connected as close as possible is necessary
for ensure device stability. The X7R or X5R capacitor
should be used for reliable performance over temperature
range. The value of the input capacitor should be 1 mF or
greater to ensure the best dynamic performance. This
capacitor will provide a low impedance path for unwanted
AC signals or noise modulated onto constant input voltage.
There is no requirement for the ESR of the input capacitor
but it is recommended to use ceramic capacitors for their low
ESR and ESL. A good input capacitor will limit the
influence of input trace inductance and source resistance
during sudden load current changes.
Output Decoupling (COUT)
The NCP161 requires an output capacitor connected as
close as possible to the output pin of the regulator. The
recommended capacitor value is 1 mF and X7R or X5R
dielectric due to its low capacitance variations over the
specified temperature range. The NCP161 is designed to
remain stable with minimum effective capacitance of 0.7 mF
to account for changes with temperature, DC bias and
package size. Especially for small package size capacitors
such as 0201 the effective capacitance drops rapidly with the
applied DC bias. Please refer Figure 51.
Figure 51. Capacity vs DC Bias Voltage
There is no requirement for the minimum value of
Equivalent Series Resistance (ESR) for the COUT but the
maximum value of ESR should be less than 2 Ω. Larger
output capacitors and lower ESR could improve the load
transient response or high frequency PSRR. It is not
recommended to use tantalum capacitors on the output due
to their large ESR. The equivalent series resistance of
tantalum capacitors is also strongly dependent on the
temperature, increasing at low temperature.
Enable Operation
The NCP161 uses the EN pin to enable/disable its device
and to deactivate/activate the active discharge function.
If the EN pin voltage is <0.4 V the device is guaranteed to
be disabled. The pass transistor is turned−off so that there is
virtually no current flow between the IN and OUT. The
active discharge transistor is active so that the output voltage
VOUT is pulled to GND through a 280 Ω resistor. In the
disable state the device consumes as low as typ. 10 nA from
the VIN.
If the EN pin voltage >1.2 V the device is guaranteed to
be enabled. The NCP161 regulates the output voltage and
the active discharge transistor is turned−off.
The EN pin has internal pull−down current source with
typ. value of 200 nA which assures that the device is
turned−off when the EN pin is not connected. In the case
where the EN function isn’t required the EN should be tied
directly to IN.
Output Current Limit
Output Current is internally limited within the IC to a
typical 700 mA. The NCP161 will source this amount of
current measured with a voltage drops on the 90% of the
nominal VOUT. If the Output Voltage is directly shorted to
ground (VOUT = 0 V), the short circuit protection will limit
the output current to 690 mA (typ). The current limit and
short circuit protection will work properly over whole
temperature range and also input voltage range. There is no
limitation for the short circuit duration.
Thermal Shutdown
When the die temperature exceeds the Thermal Shutdown
threshold (TSD * 160°C typical), Thermal Shutdown event
is detected and the device is disabled. The IC will remain in
this state until the die temperature decreases below the
Thermal Shutdown Reset threshold (TSDU − 140°C typical).
Once the IC temperature falls below the 140°C the LDO is
enabled again. The thermal shutdown feature provides the
protection from a catastrophic device failure due to
accidental overheating. This protection is not intended to be
used as a substitute for proper heat sinking.
Power Dissipation
As power dissipated in the NCP161 increases, it might
become necessary to provide some thermal relief. The
maximum power dissipation supported by the device is
dependent upon board design and layout. Mounting pad
configuration on the PCB, the board material, and the