The MAX668/MAX669 allow significant latitude in inductor
selection if LIDEAL is not a convenient value. This may
happen if LIDEAL is a not a standard inductance (such as
10μH, 22μH, etc.), or if LIDEAL is too large to be obtained
with suitable resistance and saturation-current rating in
the desired size. Inductance values smaller than LIDEAL
may be used with no adverse stability effects; however,
the peak-to-peak inductor current (ILPP) will rise as L is
reduced. This has the effect of raising the required ILPK
for a given output power and also requiring larger output
capacitance to maintain a given output ripple. An induc-
tance value larger than LIDEAL may also be used, but
output-filter capacitance must be increased by the same
proportion that L has to LIDEAL. See the Capacitor
Selection section for more information on determining
output filter values.
Due to the MAX668/MAX669’s high switching frequencies,
inductors with any core materials that exhibit low core
loss (ferrite, or equivalent) are recommended for best
efficiency performance.
Determining Peak Inductor Current
The peak inductor current required for a particular output is:
ILPEAK = ILDC + (ILPP / 2)
where ILDC is the average DC input current and ILPP is
the inductor peak-to-peak ripple current. The ILDC and
ILPP terms are determined as follows:
OUT OUT D
LDC IN SW
I = (V – V )
where VD is the forward voltage drop across the Schottky
rectifier diode (D1), and VSW is the drop across the external
FET, when on.
IN SW OUT D IN
LPP
OSC OUT D
(V – V ) (V + V – V )
I = L x f (V + V )
where L is the inductor value. The saturation rating
of the selected inductor should meet or exceed the
calculated value for ILPEAK, although most coil types can
be operated up to 20% over their saturation rating without
difficulty. In addition to the saturation criteria, the inductor
should have as low a series resistance as possible. For
continuous inductor current, the power loss in the inductor
resistance, PLR, is approximated by:
PLR ≅ (IOUT x VOUT / VIN)2 x RL
where RL is the inductor series resistance.
Once the peak inductor current is selected, the current-
sense resistor (RCS) is determined by:
RCS = 85mV / ILPEAK
For high peak inductor currents (>1A), Kelvin sensing
connections should be used to connect CS+ and PGND
to RCS. PGND and GND should be tied together at the
ground side of RCS.
Power MOSFET Selection
The MAX668/MAX669 drive a wide variety of N-channel
power MOSFETs (NFETs). Since LDO limits the EXT output
gate drive to no more than 5V, a logic-level NFET is
required. Best performance, especially at low input voltag-
es (below 5V), is achieved with low-threshold NFETs that
specify on-resistance with a gate-source voltage (VGS) of
2.7V or less. When selecting an NFET, key parameters
can include:
1) Total gate charge (Qg)
2) Reverse transfer capacitance or charge (CRSS)
3) On-resistance (RDS(ON))
4) Maximum drain-to-source voltage (VDS(MAX))
5) Minimum threshold voltage (VTH(MIN))
At high switching rates, dynamic characteristics (parameters
1 and 2 above) that predict switching losses may have more
impact on efficiency than RDS(ON), which predicts DC losses.
Qg includes all capacitances associated with charging the
gate. In addition, this parameter helps predict the current
needed to drive the gate at the selected operating frequency.
The continuous LDO current for the FET gate is:
IGATE = Qg x fOSC
For example, the MMFT3055L has a typical Q
g
of 7nC
(at VGS = 5V); therefore, the IGATE current at 500kHz is
3.5mA. Use the FET manufacturer’s typical value for Qg in
the above equation, since a maximum value (if supplied) is
usually too conservative to be of use in estimating IGATE.
Diode Selection
The MAX668/MAX669’s high switching frequency
demands a high-speed rectifier. Schottky diodes are
recommended for most applications because of their fast
recovery time and low forward voltage. Ensure that the
diode’s average current rating is adequate using the diode
manufacturer’s data, or approximate it with the following
formula:
= + LPEAK OUT
DIODE OUT
II
Also, the diode reverse breakdown voltage must exceed
VOUT. For high output voltages (50V or above), Schottky
diodes may not be practical because of this voltage
requirement. In these cases, use a high-speed silicon
rectifier with adequate reverse voltage.
MAX668/MAX669 1.8V to 28V Input, PWM Step-Up
Controllers in μMAX
www.maximintegrated.com Maxim Integrated
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