Datasheet

LTC3850/LTC3850-1
23
38501fc
tinuously from the phase detector output, pulling up the
FREQ/PLLFLTR pin. When the external clock frequency
is less than f
OSC
, current is sunk continuously, pulling
down the FREQ/PLLFLTR pin. If the external and internal
frequencies are the same but exhibit a phase difference,
the current sources turn on for an amount of time corre-
sponding to the phase difference. The voltage on the FREQ/
PLLFLTR pin is adjusted until the phase and frequency of
the internal and external oscillators are identical. At the
stable operating point, the phase detector output is high
impedance and the filter capacitor C
LP
holds the voltage.
The loop filter components, C
LP
and R
LP
, smooth out the
current pulses from the phase detector and provide a
stable input to the voltage-controlled oscillator. The filter
components C
LP
and R
LP
determine how fast the loop
acquires lock. Typically R
LP
= 10k and C
LP
is 2200pF to
0.01µF.
Typically, the external clock (on MODE/PLLIN pin)
input high threshold is 1.6V, while the input low thres-
hold is 1V.
Minimum On-Time Considerations
Minimum on-time t
ON(MIN)
is the smallest time duration
that the LTC3850 is capable of turning on the top MOSFET.
It is determined by internal timing delays and the gate
charge required to turn on the top MOSFET. Low duty
cycle applications may approach this minimum on-time
limit and care should be taken to ensure that
t
ON(MIN)
<
V
OUT
V
IN
(f)
If the duty cycle falls below what can be accommodated
by the minimum on-time, the controller will begin to skip
cycles. The output voltage will continue to be regulated,
but the ripple voltage and current will increase.
The minimum on-time for the LTC3850 is approximately
90ns, with reasonably good PCB layout, minimum 30%
inductor current ripple and at least 10mV – 15mV ripple
on the current sense signal. The minimum on-time can be
affected by PCB switching noise in the voltage and current
loop. As the peak sense voltage decreases the minimum
on-time gradually increases to 130ns. This is of particular
concern in forced continuous applications with low ripple
current at light loads. If the duty cycle drops below the
minimum on-time limit in this situation, a significant
amount of cycle skipping can occur with correspondingly
larger current and voltage ripple.
Efficiency Considerations
The percent efficiency of a switching regulator is equal to
the output power divided by the input power times 100%.
It is often useful to analyze individual losses to determine
what is limiting the efficiency and which change would
produce the most improvement. Percent efficiency can
be expressed as:
%Efficiency = 100% – (L1 + L2 + L3 + ...)
where L1, L2, etc. are the individual losses as a percent-
age of input power.
APPLICATIONS INFORMATION
Figure 10. Relationship Between Oscillator
Frequency and Voltage at the FREQ/PLLFLTR Pin
FREQ/PLLFLTR PIN VOLTAGE (V)
0
FREQUENCY (kHz)
0.5 1 1.5 2
38501 F10
2.5
0
100
300
400
500
900
800
700
200
600
Figure 11. Phase-Locked Loop Block Diagram
DIGITAL
PHASE/
FREQUENCY
DETECTOR
VCO
2.4V
R
LP
C
LP
38501 F11
FREQ/
PLLFLTR
EXTERNAL
OSCILLATOR
MODE/
PLLIN