Applications Information
To assure the maximum possible performance is
obtained from the AAT3237, please refer to the following application recommendations.
Input Capacitor
Typically, a 1µF or larger capacitor is recommended for CINin most applications. A CINcapacitor is
not required for basic LDO regulator operation.
However, if the AAT3237 is physically located more
than three centimeters from an input power source,
a CINcapacitor will be needed for stable operation.
CINshould be located as closely to the device V
IN
pin as practically possible. CINvalues greater than
1µF will offer superior input line transient response
and will assist in maximizing the highest possible
power supply ripple rejection.
Ceramic, tantalum, or aluminum electrolytic capacitors may be selected for CIN. There is no specific
capacitor ESR requirement for CIN. However, for
300mA LDO regulator output operation, ceramic
capacitors are recommended for CINdue to their
inherent capability over tantalum capacitors to withstand input current surges from low impedance
sources such as batteries in portable devices.
Output Capacitor
For proper load voltage regulation and operational
stability, a capacitor is required between pins V
OUT
and GND. The C
OUT
capacitor connection to
the LDO regulator ground pin should be made as
direct as practically possible for maximum device
performance.
The AAT3237 has been specifically designed to function with very low ESR ceramic capacitors. For best
performance, ceramic capacitors are recommended.
Typical output cap acitor values for maximum output
current conditions range from 1µF to 10µF.
Applications utilizing the exceptionally low output
noise and optimum power supply ripple rejection
characteristics of the AAT3237 should use 2.2µF or
greater for C
OUT
. If desired, C
OUT
may be increased
without limit.
In low output current applications where output
load is less than 10mA, the minimum value for
C
OUT
can be as low as 0.47µF.
Capacitor Characteristics
Ceramic composition capacitors are highly recommended over all other types of capacitors for use
with the AAT3237. Ceramic capacitors offer many
advantages over their tantalum and aluminum electrolytic counterparts. A ceramic capacitor typically
has very low ESR, is lower cost, has a smaller PCB
footprint, and is non-polarized. Line and load transient response of the LDO regulator is improved by
using low ESR ceramic capacitors. Since ceramic
capacitors are non-polarized, they are not prone to
incorrect connection damage.
Equivalent Series Resistance: ESR is a very
important characteristic to consider when selecting a
capacitor . ESR is the internal series resistance associated with a capacitor that includes lead resistance,
internal connections, size and area, material composition, and ambient temperature. Typically, capacitor
ESR is measured in milliohms for ceramic capacitors
and can range to more than several ohms for tantalum or aluminum electrolytic capacitors.
Ceramic Capacitor Materials: Ceramic capacitors less than 0.1µF are typically made from NPO
or C0G materials. NPO and C0G materials generally have tight tolerance and are very stable over
temperature. Larger capacitor values are usually
composed of X7R, X5R, Z5U, or Y5V dielectric
materials. These two material types are not recommended for use with LDO regulators since the
capacitor tolerance can vary more than ±50% over
the operating temperature range of the device. A
2.2µF Y5V capacitor could be reduced to 1µF over
temperature; this could cause problems for circuit
operation. X7R and X5R dielectrics are much more
desirable. The temperature tolerance of X7R
dielectric is better than ±15%.
Capacitor area is another contributor to ESR.
Capacitors that are physically large in size will have
a lower ESR when compared to a smaller sized
capacitor of an equivalent material and capacitance
value. These larger devices can improve circuit transient response when compared to an equal value
capacitor in a smaller package size.
Consult capacitor vendor datasheets carefully
when selecting capacitors for LDO regulators.
AAT3237
300mA MicroPower™ LDO with PowerOK
3237.2006.01.1.4 9