DCDC Converter 35A Highly Integrated SupIRBuck(R) Single-Input Voltage, Synchronous Buck Regulator FEATURES SupIRBuck IR3846 DESCRIPTION Single 5V to 21V application Wide Input Voltage Range from 1.5V to 21V with external Vcc Output Voltage Range: 0.6V to 0.86*PVin 0.5% accurate Reference Voltage Enhanced line/load regulation with Feed-Forward Programmable Switching Frequency up to 1.5MHz Internal Digital Soft-Start Enable input with Voltage Monitoring Capability Remote Sense Amplifier with True Differential Voltage Sensing Thermally compensated current limit and Hiccup Mode Over Current Protection Smart LDO to enhance efficiency Vp for tracking applications and sequencing Vref is available externally to enable margining External synchronization with Smooth Clocking Dedicated output voltage sensing for power good indication and overvoltage protection which remains active even when Enable is low. Enhanced Pre-Bias Start up Body Braking to improve transient Integrated MOSFET drivers and Bootstrap diode Thermal Shut Down Post Package trimmed rising edge dead-time Programmable Power Good Output with tracking Small Size 5mm x 7mm PQFN Operating Junction Temp: -40oC Vref, Sw duty cycle, Note 3 0 % Body Braking BB Threshold BB_threshold FAULTS Power Good Power Good Low Upper Threshold VPG_low(upper) Power Good Low Upper Threshold Falling delay VPG_low(upper)_Dly Power Good High Lower Threshold VPG_high(lower) Power Good High Lower Threshold Rising Delay VPG_high(lower)_Dly Power Good Low Lower Threshold 9 Rev 3.8 VPG_low(lower) Vsns Rising, 0.4V < Vref < 1.2V 115 120 125 % Vref Vsns Rising, Vref < 0.1V 115 120 125 % Vp Vsns > VPG_low(upper) 1.5 2.5 3.5 s Vsns Rising, 0.4V < Vref < 1.2V 95 % Vref Vsns Rising, Vref < 0.1V 95 % Vp 1.28 ms Vsns falling, 0.4V < Vref < 1.2V 90 % Vref Vsns falling, 90 %Vp Vsns rising March 5, 2020 IR3846 PARAMETER SYMBOL Power Good Low Lower Threshold Falling delay VPG_low(lower)_Dly CONDITIONS 0.1V < Vref Vsns < VPG_low(lower) MIN TYP MAX UNIT 101 150 199 s 0.5 V PGood Voltage Low PG (voltage) IPGood = -5mA Tracker Comparator Upper Threshold VPG(tracker_upper) Vp Rising, Vref < 0.1V 0.4 V Tracker Comparator Lower Threshold VPG(tracker_lower) Vp Falling, Vref < 0.1V 0.3 V Tracker Comparator Delay Tdelay(tracker) Vp Rising, Vref < 0.1V 1.28 ms Over Voltage Protection (OVP) OVP Trip Threshold OVP (trip) OVP Fault Prop Delay OVP (delay) Vsns Rising, 0.45V < Vref < 1.2V 115 120 125 % Vref Vsns Rising, Vref < 0.1V 115 120 125 % Vp Vsns rising 1.5 2.5 3.5 s OCSet=VCC, VCC = 6.8V, TJ = 25C 41 44.4 48 A OCSet=floating, VCC = 6.8V, TJ = 25C 32 35 38 A OCSet=PGnd, VCC =6.8V, TJ = 25C 24 26.88 30 A Over-Current Protection OC Trip Current ITRIP Hiccup blanking time Tblk_Hiccup Note 4 20.48 ms Thermal Shutdown Note 4 145 C Hysteresis Note 4 20 C Thermal Shutdown Notes: 4. Guaranteed by design but not tested in production. 10 Rev 3.8 March 5, 2020 IR3846 TYPICAL EFFICIENCY AND POWER LOSS CURVES PVin = Vin = 12V, VCC = Internal LDO, Io=0-35A, Fs= 600kHz, Room Temperature, LFM=200. Note that the losses of the inductor, input and output capacitors are also considered in the efficiency and power loss curves. The table below shows the indicator used for each of the output voltages in the efficiency measurement. VOUT (V) 1.2 1.8 3.3 5.0 11 LOUT (uH) 0.25 0.33 0.33 0.33 Rev 3.8 P/N 744309025 (Wurth Electronik) 744309033 (Wurth Electronik) 744309033 (Wurth Electronik) 744309033 (Wurth Electronik) DCR (m) 0.165 0.165 0.165 0.165 March 5, 2020 IR3846 TYPICAL EFFICIENCY AND POWER LOSS CURVES PVin = 12V, Vin = VCC = 5V, Io=0-35A, Fs= 600kHz, Room Temperature, LFM=200. Note that the losses of the inductor, input and output capacitors are also considered in the efficiency and power loss curves. The table below shows the indicator used for each of the output voltages in the efficiency measurement. VOUT (V) 1.2 1.8 3.3 5.0 12 LOUT (uH) 0.25 0.33 0.33 0.33 Rev 3.8 P/N 744309025 (Wurth Electronik) 744309033 (Wurth Electronik) 744309033 (Wurth Electronik) 744309033 (Wurth Electronik) DCR (m) 0.165 0.165 0.165 0.165 March 5, 2020 IR3846 TYPICAL EFFICIENCY AND POWER LOSS CURVES PVin = Vin = VCC = 5V, Io=0-35A, Fs= 600kHz, Room Temperature, LFM=200. Note that the losses of the inductor, input and output capacitors are also considered in the efficiency and power loss curves. The table below shows the indicator used for each of the output voltages in the efficiency measurement. VOUT (V) 1.0 1.2 13 LOUT (uH) 0.19 0.19 Rev 3.8 P/N SL40307A-R19KHF (ITG) SL40307A-R19KHF (ITG) DCR (m) 0.200 0.200 March 5, 2020 IR3846 THERMAL DERATING CURVES Measurements are done on IR3846 Evaluation board. PCB is a 6 layer board with 2 oz copper and FR4 material. Vin=PVin=12V, Vout =1.2V, VCC=internal LDO (6.8V), Fs = 600kHz Vin=PVin=12V, Vout =3.3V, VCC=internal LDO (6.8V), Fs = 600kHz Note: International Rectifier Corporation specifies current rating of SupIRBuck devices conservatively. The continuous current load capability might be higher than the rating of the device if input voltage is 12V typical and switching frequency is below 600kHz. However, the maximum current is limited by the internal current limit and designers need to consider enough guard bands between load current and minimum current limit to guarantee that the device does not trip at steady state condition. 14 Rev 3.8 March 5, 2020 IR3846 MOSFET RDSON VARIATION OVER TEMPERATURE 15 Rev 3.8 March 5, 2020 IR3846 TYPICAL OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS (-40C to +125C) 16 Rev 3.8 March 5, 2020 IR3846 TYPICAL OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS (-40C to +125C) 17 Rev 3.8 March 5, 2020 IR3846 18 Rev 3.8 March 5, 2020 IR3846 TYPICAL OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS (-40C to +125C) OCset=VCC OCset=Float OCset=GND OCset=VCC OCset=Float OCset=GND OCset=VCC OCset=Float OCset=GND 19 Rev 3.8 March 5, 2020 IR3846 THEORY OF OPERATION DESCRIPTION The IR3846 uses a PWM voltage mode control scheme with external compensation to provide good noise immunity and maximum flexibility in selecting inductor values and capacitor types. The switching frequency is programmable from 300kHz to 1.5MHz and provides the capability of optimizing the design in terms of size and performance. IR3846 provides precisely regulated output voltage programmed via two external resistors from 0.6V to 0.86*PVin. The IR3846 operates with an internal bias supply (LDO) which is connected to the VCC pin. This allows operation with single supply. The bias voltage is variable according to load condition. If the output load current is less than half of the peak-to-peak inductor current, a lower bias voltage, 4.4V, is used as the internal gate drive voltage; otherwise, a higher voltage, 6.8V, is used. This feature helps the converter to reduce power losses. The device can also be operated with an external bias from 4.5V to 7.5V, allowing an extended operating input voltage (PVin) range from 1.5V to 21V. For using the internal LDO supply, the Vin pin should be connected to PVin pin. If an external bias is used, it should be connected to VCC pin and the Vin pin should be shorted to VCC pin. set thresholds. Normal operation resumes once VCC and Enable rise above their thresholds. The POR (Power On Ready) signal is generated when all these signals reach the valid logic level (see system block diagram). When the POR is asserted the soft start sequence starts (see soft start section). ENABLE The Enable features another level of flexibility for startup. The Enable has precise threshold which is internally monitored by Under-Voltage Lockout (UVLO) circuit. Therefore, the IR3846 will turn on only when the voltage at the Enable pin exceeds this threshold, typically, 1.2V. If the input to the Enable pin is derived from the bus voltage by a suitably programmed resistive divider, it can be ensured that the IR3846 does not turn on until the bus voltage reaches the desired level as shown in Figure 4. Only after the bus voltage reaches or exceeds this level and voltage at the Enable pin exceeds its threshold, IR3846 will be enabled. Therefore, in addition to being a logic input pin to enable the IR3846, the Enable feature, with its precise threshold, also allows the user to implement an Under-Voltage Lockout for the bus voltage (PVin). It can help prevent the IR3846 from regulating at low PVin voltages that can cause excessive input current. The device utilizes the on-resistance of the low side MOSFET (synchronous Mosfet) as current sense element. This method enhances the converter's efficiency and reduces cost by eliminating the need for external current sense resistor. IR3846 includes two low Rds(on) MOSFETs using IR's HEXFET technology. These are specifically designed for high efficiency applications. UNDER-VOLTAGE LOCKOUT AND POR The under-voltage lockout circuit monitors the voltage of VCC pin and the Enable input. It assures that the MOSFET driver outputs remain in the off state whenever either of these two signals drops below the 20 Rev 3.8 Figure 4: Normal Start up, device turns on when the bus voltage reaches 10.2V A resistor divider is used at EN pin from PVin to turn on the device at 10.2V. March 5, 2020 IR3846 PVin=Vin Vcc Vp > 1.0V EN > 1.2V input. In this operating mode Vref is left floating. Figure 6 shows the recommended startup sequence for sequenced operation of IR3846 with Enable used as logic input. Figure 7 shows the recommended startup sequence for tracking operation of IR3846 with Enable used as logic input. For this mode of operation, Vref should be connected to LGND. PRE-BIAS STARTUP Intl_SS Vo Figure 5: Recommended startup for Normal operation PVin=Vin Vcc Pre-bias can restrict the V_boot voltage and prevent the IC from starting up properly. Knowing the Vboot requirement, Vcc voltage (Vcc) and forward diode (Vd) voltage the maximum pre-bias can be determined. The power stage driver requires a minimum of 3V Vboot during startup which translates to a maximum pre-bias voltage of (Vcc - Vd - Vboot)V. Pre-Bias voltage Limit < Vcc - Vd - Vboot (1) Vp > 1.2V EN Intl_SS Vo Figure 6: Recommended startup for sequencing operation (ratiometric or simultaneous) PVin=Vin Vcc VDDQ Vp VDDQ/2 EN > 1.2V Vref 0V Vcc Vd Vboot Supply Rail (Internal LDO / External Supply) Bootstrap diode forward voltage. [0.8V] Required Vboot voltage at start up. [3V] IR3846 implements asynchronous switching during startup to help prevent oscillation and output disturbance when starting up with a pre-biased output. The regulator starts in an asynchronous fashion and keeps the synchronous MOSFET (Sync FET) off until the first gate signal for control MOSFET (Ctrl FET) is generated. Figure 8 shows a typical Pre-Bias condition at start up. The sync FET always starts with a narrow pulse width (12.5% of a switching period) and gradually increases its duty cycle with a step of 12.5% until it reaches the steady state value. The number of these startup pulses for each step is 16 and it's internally programmed. Figure 9 shows the series of 16x8 startup pulses. [V] Vo Vo VTT Tracking Pre-Bias Figure 7: Recommended startup for memory tracking operation (Vtt-DDR) Figure 5 shows the recommended startup sequence for the normal (non-tracking, non-sequencing) operation of IR3846, when Enable is used as a logic 21 Rev 3.8 Voltage [Time] Figure 8: Pre-Bias startup March 5, 2020 IR3846 HDRv ... 12.5% 16 ... 25% ... LDRv ... 87.5% ... ... The switching frequency can be programmed between 300kHz - 1500kHz by connecting an external resistor from Rt pin to LGnd. Table 1 tabulates the oscillator frequency versus Rt. ... ... 16 ... ... End of PB Figure 9: Pre-Bias startup pulses SOFT-START IR3846 has an internal digital soft-start to control the output voltage rise and to limit the current surge at the start-up. To ensure correct start-up, the soft-start sequence initiates when the Enable and VCC rise above their UVLO thresholds and generate the Power On Ready (POR) signal. The internal soft-start (Intl_SS) signal linearly rises with the rate of 0.4mV/s from 0V to 1.5V. Figure 10 shows the waveforms during soft start. The normal Vout startup time is fixed, and is equal to: Tstart 0.75V 0.15V 1.5mS 0.4mV / S Table 1: Switching Frequency(Fs) vs. External Resistor(Rt) Rt (K) 80.6 60.4 48.7 39.2 34 29.4 26.1 23.2 21 19.1 17.4 16.2 15 (2) During the soft start the over-current protection (OCP) and over-voltage protection (OVP) is enabled to protect the device for any short circuit or over voltage condition. Freq (KHz) 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 SHUTDOWN IR3846 can be shutdown by pulling the Enable pin below its 1.0V threshold. During shutdown the high side and the low side drivers are turned off. OVER CURRENT PROTECTION Figure 10: Theoretical operation waveforms during soft-start (non tracking / non sequencing) OPERATING FREQUENCY 22 Rev 3.8 The Over Current (OC) protection is performed by sensing the inductor current through the RDS(on) of the Synchronous MOSFET. This method enhances the converter's efficiency, reduces cost by eliminating a current sense resistor and any layout related noise issues. The Over Current (OC) limit can be set to one of three possible settings by floating the OCset pin, by pulling up the OCset pin to VCC, or pulling down the OCset pin to PGnd. The current limit scheme in the March 5, 2020 IR3846 IR3846 uses an internal temperature compensated current source to achieve an almost constant OC limit over temperature. Over Current Protection circuit senses the inductor current flowing through the Synchronous MOSFET. To help minimize false tripping due to noise and transients, inductor current is sampled for about 30 nS on the downward inductor current slope approximately 12.5% of the switching period before the inductor current valley. However, if the Synchronous MOSFET is on for less than 12.5% of the switching period, the current is sampled approximately 40nS after the start of the downward slope of the inductor current. When the sampled current is higher than the OC Limit, an OC event is detected. Figure 11: Timing Diagram for Current Limit Hiccup THERMAL SHUTDOWN When an Over Current event is detected, the converter enters hiccup mode. Hiccup mode is performed by latching the OC signal and pulling the Intl_SS signal to ground for 20.48 mS (typ.). OC signal clears after the completion of hiccup mode and the converter attempts to return to the nominal output voltage using a soft start sequence. The converter will repeat hiccup mode and attempt to recover until the overload or short circuit condition is removed. Temperature sensing is provided inside IR3846. The trip threshold is typically 145oC. When trip threshold is exceeded, thermal shutdown turns off both MOSFETs and resets the internal soft start. Because the IR3846 uses valley current sensing, the actual DC output current limit will be greater than OC limit. The DC output current is approximately half of peak to peak inductor ripple current above selected OC limit. OC Limit, inductor value, input voltage, output voltage and switching frequency are used to calculate the DC output current limit for the converter. Equation (2) to determine the approximate DC output current limit. REMOTE VOLTAGE SENSING I OCP I LIMIT IOCP ILIMIT i i 2 = DC current limit hiccup point = Current Limit Valley Point = Inductor ripple current (3) Automatic restart is initiated when the sensed temperature drops within the operating range. There is a 20oC hysteresis in the thermal shutdown threshold. True differential remote sensing in the feedback loop is critical to high current applications where the output voltage across the load may differ from the output voltage measured locally across an output capacitor at the output inductor, and to applications that require die voltage sensing. The RS+ and RS- pins of the IR3846 form the inputs to a remote sense differential amplifier (RSA) with high speed, low input offset and low input bias current which ensure accurate voltage sensing and fast transient response in such applications. The input range for the differential amplifier is limited to 1.5V below the VCC rail. Note that IR3846 incorporates a smart LDO which switches the VCC rail voltage depending on the loading. When determining the input range assume the part is in light load and using the lower VCC rail voltage. There are two remote sense configurations that are usually implemented. Figure 12 shows a general remote sense (RS) configuration. This configuration allows the RSA to monitor output voltages above 23 Rev 3.8 March 5, 2020 IR3846 VCC. A resistor divider is placed in between the output and the RSA to provide a lower input voltage to the RSA inputs. Typically, the resistor divider is calculated to provide VREF (0.6V) across the RSA inputs which is then outputted to RSo. The input impedance of the RSA is 63 KOhms typically and should be accounted for when determining values for the resistor divider. To account for the input impedance, assume a 63 KOhm resistor in parallel to the lower resistor in the divider network. The compensation is then designed for 0.6V to match the RSo value. Compensation Low voltage applications can use the second remote sense configuration. When the output voltage range is within the RSA input specifications, no resistor divider is needed in between the converter output and RSA. The second configuration is shown in Figure 13. The RSA is used as a unity gain buffer and compensation is determined normally. Compensation Figure 12: General Remote Sense Configuration Figure 13: Remote Sense Configuration for Vout less than VCC-1.5V EXTERNAL SYNCHRONIZATION IR3846 incorporates an internal phase lock loop (PLL) circuit which enables synchronization of the internal oscillator to an external clock. This function is important to avoid sub-harmonic oscillations due to beat frequency for embedded systems when multiple 24 Rev 3.8 point-of-load (POL) regulators are used. A multifunction pin, Rt/Sync, is used to connect the external clock. If the external clock is present before the converter turns on, Rt/Sync pin can be connected to the external clock signal solely and no other resistor is needed. If the external clock is applied after the converter turns on, or the converter switching frequency needs to toggle between the external clock frequency and the internal free-running frequency, an external resistor from Rt/Sync pin to LGnd is required to set the free-running frequency. When an external clock is applied to Rt/Sync pin after the converter runs in steady state with its free-running frequency, a transition from the free-running frequency to the external clock frequency will happen. This transition is to gradually make the actual switching frequency equal to the external clock frequency, no matter which one is higher. When the external clock signal is removed from Rt/Sync pin, the switching frequency is also changed to free-running gradually. In order to minimize the impact from these transitions to output voltage, a diode is recommended to add between the external clock and Rt/Sync pin. Figure 14 shows the timing diagram of these transitions. An internal circuit is used to change the PWM ramp slope according to the clock frequency applied on Rt/Sync pin. Even though the frequency of the external synchronization clock can vary in a wide range, the PLL circuit keeps the ramp amplitude constant, requiring no adjustment of the loop compensation. PVin variation also affects the ramp amplitude, which will be discussed separately in FeedForward section. Synchronize to the external clock Free Running Frequency Return to freerunning freq ... SW Gradually change Gradually change ... Fs1 SYNC Fs1 Fs2 Figure 14: Timing Diagram for Synchronization to the external clock (Fs1>Fs2 or Fs10.6V the error-amplifier switches to Vref and the output voltage is regulated with Vref. The final Vp voltage after sequencing startup should between 0.8V ~ 3.0V. Figure 20: LDO_Out Voltage in dropout mode 26 Rev 3.8 March 5, 2020 IR3846 Figure 21: Typical waveforms for sequencing mode of operation: (a) simultaneous, (b) ratiometric Vp (Master) VCC Vref=0V Enable (Master and Slave) Soft Start (Master and Slave) Vo1 (master) (a) Vo2 (slave) Vo1 (master) (b) Vo2 (slave) Figure 22: Typical waveforms in tracking mode of operation: (a) simultaneous, (b) ratiometric 27 Rev 3.8 Figure 23: Application Circuit for Simultaneous and Ratiometric Sequencing Tracking and sequencing operations can be implemented to be simultaneous or ratiometric (refer to Figure 21 and Figure 22). Figure 23 shows typical circuit configuration for sequencing operation. With this power-up configuration, the voltage at the Vp pin of the slave reaches 0.6V before the Fb pin of the master. If RE/RF =RC/RD, simultaneous startup is achieved. That is, the output voltage of the slave follows that of the master until the voltage at the Vp pin of the slave reaches 0.6 V. After the voltage at the Vp pin of the slave exceeds 0.6V, the internal 0.6V reference of the slave dictates its output voltage. In reality the regulation gradually shifts from Vp to internal Vref. The circuit shown in Figure 23 can also be used for simultaneous or ratiometric tracking operation if Vref of the slave is connected to LGND. Table 2 summarizes the required conditions to achieve simultaneous/ratiometric tracking or sequencing operations. March 5, 2020 IR3846 Table 2: Required Conditions for Simultaneous / Ratiometric Tracking and Sequencing (Figure 23) Operating Mode Normal (Nonsequencing, Non-tracking) Simultaneous Sequencing Ratiometric Sequencing Vref (Slave) Vp Required Condition 0.6 (Floating) Floating Ramp up from 0V Ramp up from 0V Ramp up from 0V Ramp up from 0V RA/RB > RE/RF = RC/RD RA/RB > RE/RF > RC/RD RE/RF = RC/RD 0.6V 0.6V Simultaneous Tracking 0V Ratiometric Tracking 0V RE/RF > RC/RD The threshold is set differently in different operating modes and the results of the comparison sets the PGood signal. Figure 24, Figure 25 and Figure 26 show the timing diagram of the PGood signal at different operating modes. Vsns signal is also used by OVP comparator for detecting output over voltage condition. PGood signal is low when Enable is low. PGood pin should not exceed Vcc pin voltage. By allowing PGood to exceed the VCC voltage, the internal ESD structure will be back biased and the PGood supply can partially drive the VCC rail. Due to current being drawn through the PGood pull-up resistor, the PGood voltage will reside in at an undefined voltage level which may be translated as a low or high level. Damage is not expected when PGood is back biased, but back biasing PGood is not recommended. Vref 0.6V 0 VREF This pin reflects the internal reference voltage which is used by the error amplifier to set the output voltage. In most operating conditions this pin is only connected to an external bypass capacitor and it is left floating. A minimum 100pF ceramic capacitor is required from stability point of view. In tracking mode this pin should be pulled to LGND. For margining applications, an external voltage source is connected to Vref pin and overrides the internal reference voltage. The external voltage source should have a low internal resistance (<100) and be able to source and sink more than 25A. POWER GOOD OUTPUT (TRACKING, SEQUENCING, VREF MARGINING) Vsns 0 1.2*VREF 0.90*VREF 0.95*VREF OVP Latch PGD 0 1.28 mS 150 uS 1.28 mS 2.5 uS Figure 24: Non-sequence, Non-tracking Startup and Vref Margin (Vp pin floating) IR3846 continually monitors the output voltage via the sense pin (Vsns) voltage. The Vsns voltage is an input to the window comparator with upper and lower threshold of 1.2*VREF and 0.95*VREF respectively. PGood signal is high whenever Vsns voltage is within the PGood comparator window thresholds. Hysteresis has been applied to the lower threshold, PGood signal goes low when Vsns drops below 0.9*VREF instead of 0.95*VREF. The PGood pin is open drain and it needs to be externally pulled high. High state indicates that output is in regulation. 28 Rev 3.8 March 5, 2020 IR3846 Vsns voltage is set by the voltage divider connected to the output and it can be programmed externally. Figure 27 shows the timing diagram for OVP in nontracking mode. Figure 25: Vp Tracking (Vref = 0V) Figure 27: Timing Diagram for OVP in non-tracking mode SOFT-START / SOFT-STOP (S_CTRL) Figure 26: Vp Sequence and Vref Margin OVER-VOLTAGE PROTECTION (OVP) Over-voltage protection in IR3846 is achieved by comparing sense pin voltage Vsns to a pre-set threshold. In non-tracking mode, OVP threshold can be set at 1.2*Vref; in tracking mode, it can be at 1.2*Vp. When Vsns exceeds the over voltage threshold, an over voltage trip signal asserts after 2.5 uS (typ.) delay. The high side drive signal HDrv is latched off immediately and PGood flags are set low. The low side drive signal is kept on until the Vsns voltage drops below the threshold. HDrv remains latched off until a reset is performed by cycling VCC. OVP is active when enable is high or low. 29 Rev 3.8 S_Ctrl allows for the gradual charging and discharging of Vout to its final value by controlling the Soft-Start and Soft-Stop functions. Soft-Start and Soft-Stop is the gradual charging and discharging of Vout, respectfully. Both functions use the internal Intl_SS ramp to regulate the rate Vout charges and discharges. Soft-Start feature is enabled when S_Ctrl and EN are asserted high. S_Ctrl is internally pulled high, so that EN typically controls the rise of Vout. To delay the charging of Vout, keep S_Ctrl low while setting EN. Then assert S_Ctrl high to initiate the Intl_SS ramp (Soft-Start). Vout follows Intl_SS and ramps up until it reaches its steady state. For SoftStop, S_Ctrl needs to be pulled low before EN goes low. When S_Ctrl falls below its lower threshold, Intl_SS becomes a decreasing ramp with the same rate as the Soft-Start ramp. Vout follows this ramp and discharges softly until completely shut down. Figure 28 shows the timing diagram of S_Ctrl controlled softstart and soft-stop. If the Enable pin goes low before S_Ctrl, the converter shuts down without Soft-Stop. Both gate drivers are turned off immediately and Vout discharges to zero. March 5, 2020 IR3846 Figure 29 shows the timing diagram of Enable controlled soft-start and soft-stop. Enable 0 V VD di L o , with body braking dt L V di L o , without body braking dt L IL VD S_Ctrl 0 0.65V 0.65V Intl _SS 0.15V 0.15V 0 Vout 0 Figure 28: Timing Diagram for S_Ctrl controlled SoftStart / Soft-Stop S_Ctrl 0 Enable 1.2V 1.0V Vo L (4) (5) = Inductor current = Forward voltage drop of the body diode of the Sync FET. = output voltage = Inductor value The Body Braking mechanism is kept OFF during prebias operation. Also, in the event of an extremely severe load step-down transient causing OVP, the Body Brake is overridden by the OVP latch, which turns on the Sync FET. MINIMUM ON TIME CONSIDERATIONS The minimum ON time is the shortest amount of time for Ctrl FET to be reliably turned on. This is very critical parameter for low duty cycle, high frequency applications. Conventional approach limits the pulse width to prevent noise, jitter and pulse skipping. This results to lower closed loop bandwidth. 0 0.65V Intl _SS 0.15V 0 Vout 0 Figure 29: Timing Diagram for Enable controlled SoftStart / Shutdown BODY BRAKINGTM The Body Braking feature of the IR3846 allows improved transient response for step-down load transients. A severe step-down load transient would cause an overshoot in the output voltage and drive the Comp pin voltage down until control saturation occurs demanding 0% duty cycle and the PWM input to the Control FET driver is kept OFF. When the first such skipped pulse occurs, the IR3846 enters Body Braking mode, wherein the Sync FET also turned OFF. The inductor current then decays by freewheeling through the body diode of the Sync FET. Thus, with Body Braking, the forward voltage drop of the body diode provides and additional voltage to discharge the inductor current faster to the light load value as shown in equation (4) and equation (5) below: 30 Rev 3.8 IR has developed a proprietary scheme to improve and enhance minimum pulse width which utilizes the benefits of voltage mode control scheme with higher switching frequency, wider conversion ratio and higher closed loop bandwidth, the latter results in reduction of output capacitors. Any design or application using IR3846 must ensure operation with a pulse width that is higher than the minimum on-time. This is necessary for the circuit to operate without jitter and pulseskipping, which can cause high inductor current ripple and high output voltage ripple. t on Vout D Fs PVin Fs (6) In any application that uses IR3846, the following condition must be satisfied: t on (min) t on Vout PVin Fs V PVin Fs out t on (min) t on (min) (7) (8) (9) March 5, 2020 IR3846 The minimum output voltage is limited by the reference voltage and hence Vout(min) = 0.6V. Therefore, for Vout(min) = 0.6V, PVin Fs Vout t on (min) 0.6V PVin Fs 12V / S 50nS this ratio increases, thus the lower the maximum duty ratio at which IR3846 can operate. Figure 30 shows a plot of the maximum duty ratio vs. the switching frequency with built in input voltage feed forward mechanism. (10) Therefore, at the maximum recommended input voltage 21V and minimum output voltage, the converter should be designed at a switching frequency that does not exceed 571 kHz. Conversely, for operation at the maximum recommended operating frequency (1.5 MHz) and minimum output voltage (0.6V). The input voltage (PVin) should not exceed 8V, otherwise pulse skipping may happen. MAXIMUM DUTY RATIO A certain off-time is specified for IR3846. This provides an upper limit on the operating duty ratio at any given switching frequency. The off-time remains at a relatively fixed ratio to switching period in low and mid frequency range, while in high frequency range Figure 30: Maximum duty cycle vs. switching frequency TYPICAL OPERATING WAVEFORM DESIGN EXAMPLE The following example is a typical application for IR3846. The application circuit is shown in Figure 37. Vin = PVin = 12V Fs = 600kHz Vo = 1.2V Io = 35A Ripple Voltage = 1% * Vo Vo = 4% * Vo (for 30% load transient) Figure 31: Using Enable pin for UVLO implementation For a typical Enable threshold of VEN = 1.2 V Enabling the IR3846 PVin (min) As explained earlier, the precise threshold of the Enable lends itself well to implementation of a UVLO for the Bus Voltage as shown in Figure 31. R 2 R1 R2 V EN 1.2 R1 R 2 V EN PVin (min) V EN (11) (12) For PVin (min)=9.2V, R1=49.9K and R2=7.5K ohm is a good choice. 31 Rev 3.8 March 5, 2020 IR3846 Programming the frequency Output Voltage Programming For Fs = 600 kHz, select Rt = 39.2 K, using Table 1. Output voltage is programmed by reference voltage and external voltage divider. The FB pin is the inverting input of the error amplifier, which is internally referenced to VREF. The divider ratio is set to equal VREF at the FB pin when the output is at its desired value. When an external resistor divider is connected to the output as shown in Figure 32, the output voltage is defined by using the following equation: R Vo Vref 1 5 R6 Vref R6 R5 V V ref o (13) (14) For the calculated values of R5 and R6, see feedback compensation section. Figure 32: Typical application of the IR3846 for programming the output voltage Bootstrap Capacitor Selection To drive the Control FET, it is necessary to supply a gate voltage at least 4V greater than the voltage at the SW pin, which is connected to the source of the Control FET. This is achieved by using a bootstrap configuration, which comprises the internal bootstrap diode and an external bootstrap capacitor (C1). The operation of the circuit is as follows: When the sync FET is turned on, the capacitor node connected to SW is pulled down to ground. The capacitor charges towards Vcc through the internal bootstrap diode (Figure 33), which has a forward voltage drop VD. The voltage Vc across the bootstrap capacitor C1 is approximately given as: Vc Vcc VD (15) When the control FET turns on in the next cycle, the capacitor node connected to SW rises to the bus 32 Rev 3.8 March 5, 2020 IR3846 voltage Vin. However, if the value of C1 is appropriately chosen, the voltage Vc across C1 remains approximately unchanged and the voltage at the Boot pin becomes: V Boot PVin Vcc V D (16) GRM31CR61E226KE15L from Murata. In addition to these, although not mandatory, a 1x330uF, 25V SMD capacitor EEV-FK1E331P from Panasonic may also be used as a bulk capacitor and is recommended if the input power supply is not located close to the converter. Inductor Selection Cvin Inductors are selected based on output power, operating frequency and efficiency requirements. A low inductor value causes large ripple current, resulting in the smaller size, faster response to a load transient but may also result in reduced efficiency and high output noise. Generally, the selection of the inductor value can be reduced to the desired maximum ripple current in the inductor (i). The optimum point is usually found between 20% and 50% ripple of the output current. For the buck converter, the inductor value for the desired operating ripple current can be determined using the following relation: PVin + VD - Boot Vcc C1 + Vc - SW IR3846 L PGnd i 1 ; t D t Fs Vo L Vin Vo Vin i Fs Figure 33: Bootstrap circuit to generate Vc voltage Vin Vo L A bootstrap capacitor of value 0.1uF is suitable for most applications. Input Capacitor Selection The ripple currents generated during the on time of the control FETs should be provided by the input capacitor. The RMS value of this ripple for each channel is expressed by: I RMS I o D 1 D D Where: D IRMS Io Vin Vo Vin (17) = Maximum input voltage = Output Voltage = Inductor Ripple Current = Switching Frequency = On time for Control FET = Duty Cycle (18) = Duty Cycle = RMS value of the input capacitor current = output current. = Power Stage input voltage Io=35A and D = 0.1, the IRMS = 10.5A. Ceramic capacitors are recommended due to their peak current capabilities. They also feature low ESR and ESL at higher frequency which enables better efficiency. For this application, it is advisable to have 7x22uF, 25V ceramic capacitors, 33 Where: Vin V0 i Fs t D (19) Rev 3.8 If i 30%*Io, then the inductor is calculated to be 0.24H. Select L=0.25H, 744309025, from Wurth Electronik which provides an inductor suitable for this application. Output Capacitor Selection The voltage ripple and transient requirements determine the output capacitors type and values. The criterion is normally based on the value of the Effective Series Resistance (ESR). However the actual capacitance value and the Equivalent Series Inductance (ESL) are other contributing components. These components can be described as: March 5, 2020 IR3846 Vo Vo ESR Vo ESL Vo (C ) FLC V0 ( ESR ) I L ESR V V V0 ( ESL ) in o ESL L I L V0 ( C ) 8 Co Fs 1 2 Lo Co (21) (20) Where: V0 = Output Voltage Ripple IL = Inductor Ripple Current Figure 34 shows gain and phase of the LC filter. Since we already have 180o phase shift from the output filter alone, the system runs the risk of being unstable. Phase Gain 0dB 00 -40dB/Decade -900 Since the output capacitor has a major role in the overall performance of the converter and determines the result of transient response, selection of the capacitor is critical. The IR3846 can perform well with all types of capacitors. As a rule, the capacitor must have low enough ESR to meet output ripple and load transient requirements. The goal for this design is to meet the voltage ripple requirement in the smallest possible capacitor size. Therefore it is advisable to select ceramic capacitors due to their low ESR and ESL and small size. Six of Murata GRM31CR60J107ME39L (100uF/1206/X5R/ 6.3V) capacitors is a good choice. It is also recommended to use a 0.1F ceramic capacitor at the output for high frequency filtering. Feedback Compensation The IR3846 is a voltage mode controller. The control loop is a single voltage feedback path including error amplifier and error comparator. To achieve fast transient response and accurate output regulation, a compensation circuit is necessary. The goal of the compensation network is to provide a closed-loop transfer function with the highest 0 dB crossing frequency and adequate phase margin (greater than 45o). FLC Frequency -1800 FLC Frequency Figure 34: Gain and Phase of LC filter The IR3846 uses a voltage-type error amplifier with high-gain and high-bandwidth. The output of the amplifier is available for DC gain control and AC phase compensation. The error amplifier can be compensated either in type II or type III compensation. Local feedback with Type II compensation is shown in Figure 35. This method requires that the output capacitor have enough ESR to satisfy stability requirements. If the output capacitor's ESR generates a zero at 5kHz to 50kHz, the zero generates acceptable phase margin and the Type II compensator can be used. The ESR zero of the output capacitor is expressed as follows: FESR 1 2 ESR Co (22) The output LC filter introduces a double pole, 40dB/decade gain slope above its corner resonant frequency, and a total phase lag of 180o. The resonant frequency of the LC filter is expressed as follows: 34 Rev 3.8 March 5, 2020 IR3846 VO U T Z IN Use the following equation to calculate R3: C P O LE R3 C3 R5 Zf Fb E /A R6 C om p Ve VR EF G ain(dB ) H (s) dB FZ F P O LE The transfer function (Ve/Vout) is given by: (23) R3 R5 (24) 1 Fz 2 R3 C3 (25) First select the desired zero-crossover frequency (Fo): Fo FESR and Fo (1 / 5 ~ 1 / 10) Fs (27) 2 Vin FLC Where: Vramp = Amplitude of the oscillator Ramp Voltage Fo = Crossover Frequency FESR = Zero Frequency of the Output Capacitor R5 = Feedback Resistor Vin = Maximum Input Voltage = (RS+ - RS-) / Vo FLC = Resonant Frequency of the Output Filter To cancel one of the LC filter poles, place the zero before the LC filter resonant frequency pole: FZ 75% FLC 1 FZ 0.75 2 Lo Co (28) Use equation (24), (25) and (26) to calculate C3. The (s) indicates that the transfer function varies as a function of frequency. This configuration introduces a gain and zero, expressed by: H ( s) Vramp Fo FESR R5 F requency Figure 35: Type II compensation network and its asymptotic gain plot Z Ve 1 sR3C3 H (s) f Vout Z IN sR5C3 R3 One more capacitor is sometimes added in parallel with C3 and R3. This introduces one more pole which is mainly used to suppress the switching noise. The additional pole is given by: Fp 1 C C POLE 2 3 C3 C POLE (29) The pole sets to one half of the switching frequency which results in the capacitor CPOLE: (26) CPOLE 1 R3 FS 1 C3 1 R3 FS (30) For a general unconditional stable solution for any type of output capacitors with a wide range of ESR values, we use a local feedback with a type III compensation network. The typically used compensation network for voltage-mode controller is shown in Figure 36. 35 Rev 3.8 March 5, 2020 IR3846 VOUT ZIN C2 C4 R4 R3 C3 R5 Zf Fb R6 E/ A Ve Comp 1 2 R3 C3 1 1 2 C4 R4 R5 2 C4 R5 FZ 1 (35) FZ 2 (36) Cross over frequency is expressed as: Fo R3 C 4 VREF Vin 1 Vramp 2 Lo C o (37) Gain (dB) |H(s)| dB FZ1 FZ 2 FP2 FP3 Frequency Figure 36: Type III Compensation network and its asymptotic gain plot Again, the transfer function is given by: Zf Ve H ( s) Vout Z IN By replacing Zin and Zf, according to Figure 36, the transfer function can be expressed as: H (s) 1 sR3C3 1 sC4 R4 R5 C C3 1 sR4C4 sR5 C2 C3 1 sR3 2 C2 C3 (31) The compensation network has three poles and two zeros and they are expressed as follows: FP1 0 (32) 1 2 R4 C4 1 1 FP 3 C C3 2 R3 C2 2 R3 2 C C 3 2 FP 2 36 Rev 3.8 (33) (34) Based on the frequency of the zero generated by the output capacitor and its ESR, relative to the crossover frequency, the compensation type can be different. Table 3 shows the compensation types for relative locations of the crossover frequency. Table 3: Different types of compensators Compensator Type FESR vs FO Typical Output Capacitor Type II FLC < FESR < FO < FS/2 Electrolytic Type III FLC < FO < FESR SP Cap, Ceramic The higher the crossover frequency is, the potentially faster the load transient response will be. However, the crossover frequency should be low enough to allow attenuation of switching noise. Typically, the control loop bandwidth or crossover frequency (Fo) is selected such that: Fo 1/5 ~ 1/10 * Fs The DC gain should be large enough to provide high DC-regulation accuracy. The phase margin should be greater than 45o for overall stability. The specifications for designing channel 1: Vin = 12V Vo = 1.2V Vramp= 1.8V (This is a function of Vin, pls. see Feed-Forward section) Vref = 0.6V = (RS+ - RS-) / Vo (This assumes the resistor divider placed between Vout and the RSA scales down the output voltage to Vref. If the RSA is not used or Vout is connected directly March 5, 2020 IR3846 Lo Co to the RSA, = 1. Please refer to the Remote Sensing Amplifier section) = 0.250 H = 6 x 100F, ESR3m each It must be noted here that the value of the capacitance used in the compensator design must be the small signal value. For instance, the small signal capacitance of the 100F capacitor used in this design is 56F at 1.2 V DC bias and 600 kHz frequency. It is this value that must be used for all computations related to the compensation. The small signal value may be obtained from the manufacturer's datasheets, design tools or SPICE models. Alternatively, they may also be inferred from measuring the power stage transfer function of the converter and measuring the double pole frequency FLC and using equation (21) to compute the small signal Co. These result to: FLC = 17.4 kHz FESR = 947 kHz Fs/2 = 300 kHz Select crossover frequency F0=100 kHz Since FLC