
Microsemi 
Linfinity Microelectronics Division 
11861 Western Avenue, Garden Grove, CA. 92841, 714-898-8121, Fax: 714-893-2570 
Page 5
Copyright 
 2000 
Rev. 2.1d, 2001-03-15 
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LX8384x-xx
5A Low Dropout Positive Regulators 
P
RODUCTION
A  M I C R O S E M I  C O M P A N Y
The LX8384/84A/84B Series ICs are easy to use Low-
Dropout (LDO) voltage regulators. They have all of the standard 
self-protection features expected of a voltage regulator: short 
circuit protection, safe operating area protection and automatic 
thermal shutdown if the device temperature rises above 
approximately 165°C.  
Use of an output capacitor is REQUIRED with the 
LX8384/84A/84B series. Please see the table below for 
recommended minimum capacitor values.   
These regulators offer a more tightly controlled reference 
voltage tolerance and superior reference stability when measured 
against the older pin-compatible regulator types that they replace.  
STABILITY 
The output capacitor is part of the regulator’s frequency 
compensation system. Many types of capacitors are available, 
with different capacitance value tolerances, capacitance 
temperature coefficients, and equivalent series impedances. For 
all operating conditions, connection of a 220μF aluminum 
electrolytic capacitor or a 47μF (<400m
 ESR) solid tantalum 
capacitor between the output terminal and ground will guarantee 
stable operation.  
If a bypass capacitor is connected between the output voltage 
adjust (ADJ) pin and ground, ripple rejection will be improved 
(please see the section entitled “RIPPLE REJECTION”). When 
ADJ pin bypassing is used, the required output capacitor value 
increases. Output capacitor values of 220μF (aluminum) or 47μF 
(tantalum) provide for all cases of bypassing the ADJ pin. If an 
ADJ pin bypass capacitor is not used, smaller output capacitor 
values are adequate. The table below shows recommended 
minimum capacitance values for operation. 
 !"#$ %&'
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None 
15μF 
10μ 
10μ 
To ensure good transient response from the power supply 
system under rapidly changing current load conditions, designers 
generally use several output capacitors connected in parallel. 
Such an arrangement serves to minimize the effects of the 
parasitic resistance (ESR) and inductance (ESL) that are present 
in all capacitors. Cost-effective solutions that sufficiently limit 
ESR and ESL effects generally result in total capacitance values 
in the range of hundreds to thousands of microfarads, which is 
more than adequate to meet regulator output capacitor 
specifications. Output capacitance values may be increased 
without limit.  
The circuit shown in Figure 1 can be used to observe the 
transient response characteristics of the regulator in a power 
system under changing loads. The effects of different capacitor 
types and values on transient response parameters, such as 
overshoot and under-shoot, can be compared quickly in order to 
develop an optimum solution. 
15μF Tantalum, 100μF Aluminum 
47μF Tantalum, 220μF Aluminum 
LX8384x
Power
Supply
IN
ADJ
OUT
Star Ground
Minimum Load
(Larger resistor)
Full Load
(Smaller
resistor)
R
DSON
 << R
L
10ms
1 sec
FIGURE 1
 - DYNAMIC INPUT AND OUTPUT TEST
OVERLOAD RECOVERY 
Like almost all IC power regulators, the LX8384/84A/84B 
regulators are equipped with Safe Operating Area (SOA) 
protection. The SOA circuit limits the regulator's maximum 
output current to progressively lower values as the input-to-
output voltage difference increases. By limiting the maximum 
output current, the SOA circuit keeps the amount of power that is 
dissipated in the regulator itself within safe limits for all values of 
input-to-output voltage within the operating range of the 
regulator. The LX8384/84A/84B SOA protection system is 
designed to be able to supply some output current for all values 
of input-to-output voltage, up to the device breakdown voltage. 
Under some conditions, a correctly operating SOA circuit may 
prevent a power supply system from returning to regulated opera-
tion after removal of an intermittent short circuit at the output of 
the regulator. This is a normal mode of operation, which can be 
seen, in most similar products, including older devices such as 
7800 series regulators. It is most likely to occur when the power 
system input voltage is relatively high and the load impedance is 
relatively low.  
When the power system is started “cold”, both the input and 
output voltages are very close to zero. The output voltage closely 
follows the rising input voltage, and the input-to-output voltage 
difference is small. The SOA circuit therefore permits the 
regulator to supply large amounts of current as needed to develop 
the designed voltage level at the regulator output. 
Now consider the case where the regulator is supplying 
regulated voltage to a resistive load under steady state conditions. 
A moderate input-to-output voltage appears across the regulator 
but the voltage difference is small enough that the SOA circuitry 
allows sufficient current to flow through the regulator to develop 
the designed output voltage across the load resistance. If the 
output resistor is short-circuited to ground, the input-to-output 
voltage difference across the regulator suddenly becomes larger 
by the amount of voltage that had appeared across the load 
resistor. The SOA circuit reads the increased input-to-output 
voltage, and cuts back the amount of current that it will permit 
the regulator to supply to its output terminal. When the short 
circuit across the output resistor is removed, all the regulator 
output current will again flow through the output resistor. The 
maximum current that the regulator can supply to the resistor will 
be limited by the SOA circuit, based on the large input-to-output  
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