
MSP1250
Power Converter 150kHz 3A
Step-down Voltage Regulator
EXTERNAL COMPONENTS
INPUT CAPACITOR C
IN
— A low ESR aluminum or tantalum bypass capacitor is needed
between the input pin and ground pin.
It must be located near the regulator using short
leads. This capacitor prevents large voltage transients from appearing at the input, and
provides the instantaneous current needed each time the switch turns on. Selecting an
input capacitor requires consulting the manufacturers data sheet for maximum allowable
RMS ripple current. For a maximum ambient temperature of 40°C, a general guideline
would be to select a capacitor with a ripple current rating of approximately 50% of the DC
load current. For ambient temperatures up to 70°C, a current rating of 75% of the DC load
current would be a good choice for a conservative design. The capacitor voltage rating must
be at least 1.25 times greater than the maximum input voltage, and often a much higher
voltage capacitor is needed to satisfy the RMS current requirements.
FEEDFORWARD CAPACITOR (Adjustable Output Voltage Version) C
FF
----A feed
forward Capacitor C
FF
, shown across R2 in Figure1 is used when the output voltage is
greater than 10V or when C
OUT
has a very low ESR. This capacitor adds lead compensation
to the feedback loop and increases the phase margin for better loop stability.
OUTPUT CAPACITOR C
OUT
—An output capacitor is required to filter the output and
provide regulator loop stability. Low impedance or low ESR Electrolytic or solid tantalum
capacitors designed for switching regulator applications must be used. When selecting an
output capacitor, the important capacitor parameters are; the 100 kHz Equivalent Series
resistance (ESR), the RMS ripple current rating, voltage rating, and capacitance value. For
the output capacitor, the ESR value is the most important parameter. The output capacitor
requires an ESR value that has an upper and lower limit. For low output ripple voltage, a low
ESR value is needed. This value is determined by the maximum allowable output ripple
voltage, typically 1% to 2% of the output voltage. But if the selected capacitor’s ESR is
extremely low, there is a possibility of an unstable feedback loop, resulting in an oscillation
at the output.
CATCH DIODE D
----Buck regulators require a diode to provide a return path for the
inductor current when the switch turns off. This must be a fast diode and must be located
close to the MSP1250 using short leads and short printed circuit traces. Because of their
very fast switching speed and low forward voltage drop, Schottky diodes provide the best
performance, especially in low output voltage applications (5V and lower). Ultra fast
recovery, or High-Efficiency rectifiers are also a good choice, but some types with an abrupt
turnoff characteristic may cause instability or EMI problems.
INDUCTOR SELECTION L
----All switching regulators have two basic modes of operation;
continuous and discontinuous. The difference between the two types relates to the inductor
current, whether it is flowing continuously, or if it drops to zero for a period of time in the
normal switching cycle. Each mode has distinctively different operating characteristics,
which can affect the regulators performance and requirements. Most switcher designs will
operate in the discontinuous mode when the load current is low. The MSP1250 (or any of
the Simple Switcher family) can bemused for both continuous and discontinuous modes of
operation.