Automotive Multioutput Voltage Regulator
A8450
13
Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
115 Northeast Cutoff
Worcester, Massachusetts 01615-0036 U.S.A.
1.508.853.5000; www.allegromicro.com
P
D
 can be used to estimate the minimum required operating 
temperature rating for the transistor. The ability of a package to 
dissipate heat is approximated by the thermal resistance from 
the die (junction) to the ambient environment, R
窲A
 (癈/W). This 
includes the significant effect of dissipation through the package 
leads and the PCB on which the transistor is mounted, and the 
state of the ambient air. The typical rating for a DPAK package is 
32贑/W. The expected self-induced temperature rise in the pack-
age, T
J
 (癈), given P
D 
= 0.814 W, is approximated as
T
J
 = P
D
 
?SPAN class="pst A8450KLBTR-T_2464169_2"> 
R
窲A
= 26癈
In automotive applications, where under-the-hood ambient tem-
peratures can exceed 125贑, the pass transistor would have to be 
rated to provide the required beta at e 151癈, plus a safe operat-
ing margin. 
For a selected transistor, V
CE
 can change depending on current, 
temperature, and transistor beta. Typically, transistors are rated 
at a minimum beta at a defined V
CE
. However, V
CE
 should be 
calculated with some margin so there is always enough headroom 
to drive the device at the desired load. 
To provide an operating margin, or if a lower-value RCL is 
required, voltage drop resistors, RDROP, can be added to the 
circuit, between the RCL and the transistor (figure 5). It is also 
important to consider tolerances in resistance values and V
REG
. 
The level of V
REG(min)
 is 5.6 V, at which level P
D
 is reduced, but 
also the voltage available for V
CE
 is reduced. Calculating maxi-
mum and minimum voltage drops is useful in determining the 
values of the drop resistors.
The required drop resistor value, R
RDROP 
, can be determined in 
terms of the voltage drops across each component of the circuit, 
as shown in the following formula
V
DROP
  e V
OUT
 
where
V
DROP
 = V
REG 
 V
RCL 
 V
RDROP 
 V
CE
 
Assume that V
REG(max)
 = 5.8 V and V
OUT(max)
 = 3.3 V. Assume 
also that T
A
 = 125癈, and V
CE
 = 1V (as specified for the 
MPSW06 npn transistor, beta = 300 at 125贑).
In order to determine the resistance values for the current-limiting 
and drop resistors, V
RCL
 and V
DROP
 can be expressed in terms of 
I
LOAD(lim)
                            V
RCL
 = (I
LOAD(lim)
 
?SPAN class="pst A8450KLBTR-T_2464169_2"> 
R
CL
)
V
RDROP
 = (I
LOAD(lim)
 
?SPAN class="pst A8450KLBTR-T_2464169_2"> 
R
RDROP
)
Assume a typical I
LOAD 
= 350 mA. However, under normal oper-
ating conditions, the current limit set by RCL would be higher 
than the expected normal current, so assume I
LOAD(lim)
 = 0.400 A 
and R
CL
 = 44 ? Substituting to determine V
RCL
V
RCL
 = 0.400
 
?SPAN class="pst A8450KLBTR-T_2464169_2"> 
0.44 = 0.176 V 
We can now solve for R
RDROP
 and then V
DROP 
V
REG 
 V
RCL 
 (I
LOAD
?SPAN class="pst A8450KLBTR-T_2464169_2"> 
R
RDROP
)  V
CE 
e V
OUT
             5.8  0.176  (0.4 
?SPAN class="pst A8450KLBTR-T_2464169_2"> 
R
RDROP
)  1
 
e 3.30 V 
therefore
R
RDROP  
e 3.31 ?/DIV>
and
V
RDROP
 = 0.4 
?SPAN class="pst A8450KLBTR-T_2464169_2"> 
3.31 = 1.3 V
Using four 0.25 W resistors valued at 14.7 ?in parallel will drop 
1.3 volts.
Using the drop resistors as calculated above, the power dissipa-
tion in the transistor, P
D
 (W) is reduced to
P
D
 = I
LOAD(lim)
 
?SPAN class="pst A8450KLBTR-T_2464169_2"> 
(V
REG 
 V
RCL 
 V
RDROP 
 V
OUT
)
   = 0.400
?SPAN class="pst A8450KLBTR-T_2464169_2"> 
(5.8  0.176  1.3  3.3) = 0.410 W
and
T
J
 = P
D
 
 
?SPAN class="pst A8450KLBTR-T_2464169_2"> 
R
窲A
= 13癈 
The power dissipated in the transistor is significantly reduced. A 
transistor in a power package with an R
窲A
 of 32贑/W at 400 mA 
(a 50 mA margin) undergoes a temperature rise of 13贑 with the 
drop resistors, as opposed to a similar transistor at 350 mA rising 
26贑 without drop resistors. At high output currents, properly 
selected drop resistors can protect the external pass transitor from 
overheating.
A8450 Power Dissipation. The A8450 is designed to operate 
in applications with high ambient temperatures. The total power 
dissipated in the device must be considered in conjunction with 
the thermal dissipation capabilities of the PCB where the A8450 
is mounted, as well as the capabilities of the device package 
itself.
The ability of a package to dissipate heat is approximated by 
the thermal resistance from the die (junction) to the ambient 
environment, R
窲A
 (癈/W). This includes the significant effect 
of dissipation through the package leads and the PCB on which 
the package is mounted, and the temperature of the ambient air.