
5
LNK304-306
D
1/04
LinkSwitch-TN Selection and Selection Between
MDCM and CCM Operation
Select the LinkSwitch-TN device, freewheeling diode and output
inductor that gives the lowest overall cost. In general, MDCM
provides the lowest cost and highest efficiency converter. CCM
designs require a larger inductor and ultra-fast (t
rr <35 ns)
freewheeling diode in all cases. It is lower cost to use a larger
LinkSwitch-TN in MDCM than a smaller LinkSwitch-TN in
CCM because of the additional external component costs of a
CCM design. However, if the highest output current is required,
CCM should be employed following the guidelines below.
Topology Options
LinkSwitch-TN can be used in all common topologies, with or
without an opto-coupler and reference to improve output voltage
tolerance and regulation. Table 2 provide a summary of these
configurations.
For more information see the Application
Note – LinkSwitch-TN Design Guide.
Component Selection
Referring to Figure 5, the following considerations may be
helpful in selecting components for a LinkSwitch-TN design.
Freewheeling Diode D1
Diode D1 should be an ultra-fast type. For MDCM, reverse
recovery time t
rr ≤75 ns should be used at a temperature of
70
°C or below. Slower diodes are not acceptable, as continuous
mode operation will always occur during startup, causing high
leading edge current spikes, terminating the switching cycle
prematurely, and preventing the output from reaching regulation.
If the ambient temperature is above 70
°C then a diode with
t
rr ≤35 ns should be used.
For CCM an ultra-fast diode with reverse recovery time
t
rr ≤35 ns should be used. A slower diode may cause excessive
leading edge current spikes, terminating the switching cycle
prematurely and preventing full power delivery.
Fast and slow diodes should never be used as the large reverse
recovery currents can cause excessive power dissipation in the
diode and/or exceed the maximum drain current specification
of LinkSwitch-TN.
Feedback Diode D2
Diode D2 can be a low-cost slow diode such as the 1N400X
series, however it should be specified as a glass passivated type
to guarantee a specified reverse recovery time. To a first order,
the forward drops of D1 and D2 should match.
Inductor L1
Choose any standard off-the-shelf inductor that meets the
design requirements. A “drum” or “dog bone” “I” core inductor
is recommended with a single ferrite element due to to its low
cost and very low audible noise properties. The typical
inductance value and RMS current rating can be obtained from
the LinkSwitch-TN design spreadsheet available within the
PI Expert design suite from Power Integrations. Choose L1
greater than or equal to the typical calculated inductance with
RMS current rating greater than or equal to calculated RMS
inductor current.
Capacitor C2
The primary function of capacitor C2 is to smooth the inductor
current. The actual output ripple voltage is a function of this
capacitor’s ESR. To a first order, the ESR of this capacitor
should not exceed the rated ripple voltage divided by the typical
current limit of the chosen LinkSwitch-TN.
Figure 6. Recommended Printed Circuit Layout for LinkSwitch-TN in a Buck Converter Configuration.
+
PI-3750-112103
C2
L1
L2
R4
R3
RF1
D1
D4
D2
D1
C1
C3
C5
C4
Optimize hatched copper areas (
) for heatsinking and EMI.
D
S
FB
BP
S
LinkSwitch-TN
AC
INPUT
DC
OUTPUT