I
L(PK)
+ IOUT(MAX) )
V
OUT
V
IN(MAX)
* VOUT
1.6
V
IN(MAX)
L
OUT
sw
(14)
Capacitor Requirements
C
OUT(MIN) +
1
L
OUT
( K
2p
CO
) 2
(15)
I
COUT(RMS) +
1
12
V
OUT
V
IN(MAX) * VOUT
V
IN(MAX)
L
OUT
sw
(16)
Choosing Capacitor Value
SLVS684A – JANUARY 2007 – REVISED JULY 2009 ....................................................................................................................................................... www.ti.com
and the peak inductor current can be determined using equation 14:
For this design, the RMS inductor current is 3.007 A and the peak inductor current is 3.15 A. The chosen
inductor is a Coiltronics DR127-220 22
H. It has a saturation current rating of 7.57 A and a RMS current rating
of 4 A, easily meeting these requirements. A lesser-rated inductor could be used if less margin is desired. In
general, inductor values for use with the TPS54356 are in the range of 6.8
H to 47 H.
The important design factors for the output capacitor are dc voltage rating, ripple current rating, and equivalent
series resistance (ESR). The dc voltage and ripple current ratings cannot be exceeded. The ESR is important
because, along with the inductor current, it determines the amount of output ripple voltage. The actual value of
the output capacitor is not critical, but some practical limits do exist.
Consider the relationship between the desired closed-loop crossover frequency of the design and LC corner
frequency of the output filter. In general, it is desirable to keep the closed-loop crossover frequency at less than
one-fifth of the switching frequency. With high switching frequencies such as the 500-kHz frequency of this
design, internal circuit limitations of the TPS54356 limit the practical maximum crossover frequency to about 70
kHz. Additionally, the capacitor type and value must be chosen to work with the internal compensation network of
the TPS5435x family of dc/dc converters. To allow for adequate phase gain in the compensation network, the LC
corner frequency should be approximately one decade or so below the closed-loop crossover frequency. This
limits the minimum capacitor value for the output filter to:
Where K is the frequency multiplier for the spread between fLC and fCO. K should be between 5 and 15, typically
10, for one decade difference. For a desired crossover of 20 kHz and a 22-
H inductor, the minimum value for
the output capacitor is 288
F. The selected output capacitor must be rated for a voltage greater than the desired
output voltage, plus one-half the ripple voltage. Any derating amount also must be included. The maximum RMS
ripple current in the output capacitor is given by equation 16:
The calculated RMS ripple current is 156 mA in the output capacitors.
For this design example, a relatively large aluminum electrolytic capacitor is combined with a smaller-value
ceramic capacitor. This combination provides a stable high-performance design at a relatively low cost. Also, by
carefully choosing the capacitor values and ESRs, the design can be tailored to complement the internal
compensation poles and zeros of the TPS54356.
These preconfigured poles and zeroes, internal to the TPS54356, limit the range of output filter configurations. A
variety of capacitor values and types of dielectric are supported. There are a number of different ways to
calculate the output filter capacitor value and ESR to work with the internal compensation network. This
procedure outlines a relatively simple procedure that produces good results with an output filter consisting of a
high-ESR dielectric capacitor in parallel with a low-ESR ceramic capacitor. SWIFT Designer Software is used for
designs with unusually high closed-loop crossover frequencies, low value, low-ESR output capacitors such as
ceramics, or if the designer is unsure about the design procedure.
20
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