
1 5 - 1 7 W , D U A L O U T P U T D C / D C C O N V E R T E R S
A Series
4
T E C H N I C A L
N O T E S
Input Fusing
Certainapplicationsand/orsafetyagenciesmayrequiretheinstallationof
fusesattheinputsofpowerconversioncomponents.Fusesshouldalsobe
usedifthepossibilityofsustained,non-current-limited,input-voltagepolartiy
reversalexists.ForC&DBWR15-17WattDC/DCConverters,youshould
useslow-blowtypefuseswithvaluesnogreaterthanthefollowing:
Model
Fuse Value
AllD12AModels
4Amp
BWR-5/1500-D24A
2Amp
BWR-12/725-D24A,BWR-15/575-D24A
2.5Amp
AllD48AModels
1Amp
Start-Up Time
TheVINtoVOUTstart-uptimeistheintervaloftimewheretheinputvoltage
crossestheturn-onthresholdpoint,andthefullyloadedoutputvoltage
entersandremainswithinitsspecifiedaccuracyband.Actualmeasured
timeswillvarywithexternaloutputcapacitanceandload.TheBWR
15-17WSeriesimplementsasoftstartcircuitthatlimitsthedutycycle
ofthePWMcontrolleratpowerup,therebylimitingtheInputInrushcurrent.
TheOn/OffControltoVOUTstart-uptimeassumestheconverterhasits
nominalinputvoltageappliedbutisturnedoffviatheOn/OffControlpin.
Thespecificationdefinestheintervalbetweenthetimeatwhichtheconverter
isturnedonandthefullyloadedoutputvoltageentersandremainswithin
itsspecifiedaccuracyband.SimilartotheVINtoVOUTstart-up,theOn/Off
ControltoVOUTstart-uptimeisalsogovernedbytheinternalsoftstart
circuitryandexternalloadcapacitance.
Input Overvoltage/Undervoltage Shutdown and Start-Up Threshold
Undernormalstart-upconditions,deviceswillnotbegintoregulateuntil
theramping-upinputvoltageexceedstheStart-UpThresholdVoltage(35V
forD48models).Onceoperating,deviceswillnotturnoffuntiltheinputvolt-
agedropsbelowtheUndervoltageShutdownlimit(33.5VforD48models).
Subsequentre-startwillnotoccuruntiltheinputisbroughtbackuptothe
Start-UpThreshold.Thisbuiltinhysteresispreventsanyunstableon/off
situationsfromoccurringatasingleinputvoltage.
Inputvoltagesexceedingtheinputovervoltageshutdownspecificationlisted
inthePerformance/FunctionalSpecificationswillcausethedevicetoshut-
down.Abuilt-inhysteresisof0.6to1.6Voltsforallmodelswillnotallowthe
convertertorestartuntiltheinputvoltageissufficientlyreduced.
Input Source Impedance
Theconvertersmustbedrivenfromalowac-impedanceinputsource.The
DC/DC'sperformanceandstabilitycanbecompromisedbytheuseofhighly
inductivesourceimpedances.TheinputcircuitshowninFigure2isapractical
solutionthatcanbeusedtominimizetheeffectsofinductanceintheinput
traces.Foroptimumperformance,componentsshouldbemountedcloseto
theDC/DCconverter.Iftheapplicationhasahighsourceimpedance,lowVIN
modelscanbenefitofincreasedexternalinputcapacitance.
I/O Filtering, Input Ripple Current, and Noise Reduction
AllBWR15-17WDC/DCConvertersachievetheirratedrippleandnoise
specificationswithouttheuseofexternalinput/outputcapacitors.Incritical
applications,input/outputrippleandnoisemaybefurtherreducedbyinstall-
ingadditionalexternalI/Ocaps.
Figure 2. Measuring Input Ripple Current
CIN
VIN
CBUS
LBUS
CIN = 33F, ESR < 700m @ 100kHz
CBUS = 220F, ESR < 100m @ 100kHz
LBUS = 12H
+INPUT
–INPUT
CURRENT
PROBE
TO
OSCILLOSCOPE
+
–
Externalinputcapacitors(CINinFigure2)serveprimarilyasenergy-storage
elements,minimizinglinevoltagevariationscausedbytransientIRdropsin
conductorsfrombackplanetotheDC/DC.Inputcapsshouldbeselected
forbulkcapacitance(atappropriatefrequencies),lowESR,andhighrms-
ripple-currentratings.TheswitchingnatureofDC/DCconvertersrequires
thatdcvoltagesourceshavelowacimpedanceashighlyinductivesource
impedancecanaffectsystemstability.InFigure2,CBUSandLBUSsimulate
atypicaldcvoltagebus.Yourspecificsystemconfigurationmaynecessitate
additionalconsiderations.
Incriticalapplications,outputripple/noise(alsoreferredtoasperiodicand
randomdeviationsorPARD)maybereducedbelowspecifiedlimitsusing
filteringtechniques,thesimplestofwhichistheinstallationofadditional
externaloutputcapacitors.Theseoutputcapsfunctionastruefilterelements
andshouldbeselectedforbulkcapacitance,lowESRandappropriate
frequencyresponse.Allexternalcapacitorsshouldhaveappropriatevoltage
ratingsandbelocatedasclosetotheconverteraspossible.Temperature
variationsforallrelevantparametersshouldalsobetakencarefullyinto
consideration.
ThemosteffectivecombinationofexternalI/Ocapacitorswillbeafunction
oflinevoltageandsourceimpedance,aswellasparticularloadandlayout
conditions.OurApplicationsEngineerscanrecommendpotentialsolutions
anddiscussthepossibilityofourmodifyingagivendevice'sinternalfiltering
tomeetyourspecificrequirements.ContactourApplicationsEngineering
Groupforadditionaldetails.
Floating Outputs
SincetheseareisolatedDC/DCconverters,theiroutputsare"floating,"with
respecttotheinput.Assuch,itispossibletouse+Output,–OutputorOutput
Returnasthesystemgroundtherebyallowingtheflexibilitytogeneratea
varietyofoutputvoltagecombinations.
RegulationforBWR15-17Wbipolarconvertersismonitoredbetween
–Outputand+Output(asopposedtoOutputtoReturn).
Minimum Loading Requirements
BWR15-17Wconvertersemployaclassicaldiode-rectificationdesigntopol-
ogyandrequireaminimum10%loadingtoachievetheirlistedregulation
specificationsandastableoperatingcondition.
Load Regulation
RegulationfortheBWR15-17Wbipolarconvertersismonitoredbetween
–Outputand+Output(asopposedtoOutputtoReturn).Assuchregulation
willassurethatvoltagebetween–Outputand+Outputpinsremainswithinthe
VOUTaccuracylistedinthePerformance/FunctionalSpecificationstable.
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