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CAPACITOR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE PTN04050A NEGATIVE-OUTPUT
Input Capacitor
Output Capacitor
Ceramic Capacitors
Tantalum Capacitors
Capacitor Table
SLTS250 – SEPTEMBER 2005
ADJUST POWER MODULES
The minimum requirement for the input bus is 100 F of capacitance. The minimum ripple current rating for any
nonceramic capacitance must be at least 250 mA rms. The ripple current rating of electrolytic capacitors is a
major consideration when they are used at the input. This ripple current requirement can be reduced by placing
ceramic capacitors at the input.
If tantalum capacitors are used at the input bus, a minimum voltage rating of 2 × (maximum dc voltage + ac
ripple) is standard practice to ensure reliability. Polymer-tantalum capacitors are more reliable and are available
with a maximum rating of typically 20 V.
The minimum capacitance required to ensure stability is a 100 F. Either ceramic or electrolytic-type capacitors
can be used. The minimum ripple current rating for the nonceramic capacitance must be at least 200 mA rms.
The stability of the module and voltage tolerances is compromised if the capacitor is not placed near the output
bus pins. A high-quality, computer-grade electrolytic capacitor should be adequate. When using ceramic
capacitance equivalent to 100
F, a 100 F electrolytic is also required.
For applications with load transients (sudden changes in load current), the regulator response improves with
additional capacitance. Additional electrolytic capacitors should be located close to the load circuit. These
capacitors provide decoupling over the frequency range, 2 kHz to 150 kHz. Aluminum electrolytic capacitors are
suitable for ambient temperatures above 0°C. For operation below 0°C, tantalum or Os-Con-type capacitors are
recommended. When using one or more nonceramic capacitors, the calculated equivalent ESR should be no
lower than 10 m
(17 m using the manufacturer's maximum ESR for a single capacitor). A list of
recommended capacitors and vendors are identified in
Table 3.Above 150 kHz, the performance of aluminum electrolytic capacitors becomes less effective. To further reduce
the reflected input ripple current, or the output transient response, multilayer ceramic capacitors must be added.
Ceramic capacitors have low ESR, and their resonant frequency is higher than the bandwidth of the regulator.
When placed at the output, their combined ESR is not critical as long as the total value of ceramic capacitance
does not exceed 200 F.
Tantalum-type capacitors may be used at both the input and the output, and are recommended for applications
where the ambient operating temperature can be less than 0°C. The AVX TPS, Sprague 593D/594/595, and
Kemet T495/T510/T520 capacitors series are suggested over many other tantalum types due to their rated
surge, power dissipation, and ripple current capability. As a caution, many general-purpose tantalum capacitors
have considerably higher ESR, reduced power dissipation, and lower ripple current capability. These capacitors
are also less reliable as they have lower power dissipation and surge current ratings. Tantalum capacitors that
do not have a stated ESR or surge current rating are not recommended for power applications. When specifying
Os-Con and polymer-tantalum capacitors for the output, the minimum ESR limit is encountered well before the
maximum capacitance value is reached.
The capacitor table,
Table 3, identifies the characteristics of capacitors from various vendors with acceptable
ESR and ripple current (rms) ratings. The recommended number of capacitors required at both the input and
output buses is identified for each capacitor type. This is not an extensive capacitor list. Capacitors from other
vendors are available with comparable specifications. Those listed are for guidance. The rms rating and ESR (at
100 kHz) are critical parameters necessary to ensure both optimum regulator performance and long capacitor
life.
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