The LX8554 series ICs are very low dropout three-terminal positive regulators with
5A rated output current. This product family is ideally suited for Pentium
sor and Power PC
TM
applications requir-
®
Proces-
ing fast transient response. The LX8554
is guaranteed to have a dropout volt-age under 1V at 5A load, making it ideal
to provide well-regulated outputs of 2.5V
to 3.6V with input supply as low as 4.75V.
Fixed versions are also available and are
specified in the Available Options table
below.
Current limit is trimmed above 5.1A to
ensure adequate output current and con-
trolled short-circuit current. On-chip thermal limiting provides protection against
any combination of overload that would
create excessive junction temperatures.
The LX8554 series products are available in both through-hole and surfacemount versions of industry standard 3-pin
TO-220 / TO-263 power packages.
The LX8554 family of products are ideal
for use in multiple processor applications
where output voltage is jumper selected.
The LX8554 ICs offer precision output as
well as low supply operation (see application below). For higher current applications see the LX8584 series of products.
PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT
TYPICAL APPLICATION OFTHE LX8554 IN A FLEXIBLE MOTHERBOARDWITH
OUTPUT VOLTAGE SELECTABLEVIA JUMPERS "JP1" AND "JP2"
P RODUCTION DATA SHEET
■■
■ THREE-TERMINAL ADJUSTABLE OR FIXED
■■
OUTPUT
■■
■ GUARANTEED
■■
■■
■ OUTPUT CURRENT OF 5A
■■
p FAST TRANSIENT RESPONSE
p 1% VOLTAGE REFERENCE INITIAL
ACCURACY
p OUTPUT SHORT-CIRCUIT PROTECTION
p BUILT-IN THERMAL SHUTDOWN
■ EVALUATION BOARD AVAILABLE:
REQUEST LXE9001 EVALUATION KIT
APPLICATIONS
■ PENTIUM PROCESSOR SUPPLIES
■ POWER PC SUPPLIES
■ MICROPROCESSOR SUPPLIES
■ LOW VOLTAGE LOGIC SUPPLIES
■ BATTERY POWERED CIRCUIT
■ POST REGULATOR FOR SWITCHING SUPPLY
≤≤
≤ 1V HEADROOM AT 5A
≤≤
VIN ³ 4.75IN
1500µF, 6.3V
Sanyo MVGX Series
JP1JP2OUTPUT VOLTAGE
OpenOpen3.6V
OpenShort3.45V
ShortShort3.3V
LX8554
OUT
ADJ
V
REF
R1
121
W
1%
200
W
1%
13
R2
1%
14.7
1%
W
JP1
V
= V
OUT
REF
W
JP2
R2
1 + + I
R1
PACKAGE ORDER INFORMATION
T
(°C)
A
Plastic TO-220
P
3-pin
0 to 125LX8554-xxCPLX8554-xxCDD
Note: All surface-mount packages are available in Tape & Reel.
Append the letter "T" to part number. (i.e. LX8554-00CDDT)
"xx" refers to output voltage, please see table above.
Temperature Stability (Note 3)∆V
Long Term Stability (Note 3)∆V
RMS Output Noise (% of V
) (Note 3) V
OUT
Symbol
OUTVIN
(V
∆V
OUT(IOUT
∆V
OUT
OUT (MAX)VIN
OUT
OUT
OUT (RMS)TA
= 5V, I
OUT
4.75V ≤ VIN ≤ 10V, 0mA ≤ I
4.75V ≤ VIN ≤ 7V
OUT
)
IN
4.75V ≤ VIN ≤ 10V
)
V
= 5V, 10mA ≤ I
IN
(Pwr)
TA = 25°C, 20ms pulse
= 100µF (Tantalum), I
OUT
0mA ≤ I
Q
= 1%, I
OUT
OUT
≤ 7V
(T)
(t) TA = 125°C, 1000 hours
= 25°C, 10Hz ≤ f ≤ 10kHz
Test ConditionsUnits
= 0mA, TA = 25°C
≤ I
OUT
OUT (MAX)
≤ I
, 4.75V ≤ VIN ≤ 10V
OUT (MAX)
≤ I
OUT
OUT (MAX)
≤ 5A, TA = 25°C, P ≤ P
OUT
= 5A
OUT
, VIN - V
OUT
≤ 7V
MAX
Note 2. Regulation is measured at constant junction temperature, using pulse testing with a low duty cycle. Changes in output voltage due to
heating effects are covered under the specification for thermal regulation.
Note 3. These parameters, although guaranteed, are not tested in production.
Note 4. I
The LX8554 is an easy to use Low-Dropout (LDO) voltage regulator.
It has all of the standard self-protection features expected of a
voltage regulator: short circuit protection, safe operating area
protection and automatic thermal shutdown if the device temperature rises above approximately 165°C.
Use of an output capacitor is REQUIRED with the LX8554A.
Please see the table below for recommended minimum capacitor
values.
The regulator offers a more tightly controlled reference voltage
tolerance and superior reference stability when measured against
the older pin-compatible regulator types that it replaces.
STABILITY
The output capacitor is part of the regulator’s frequency compensation system. Many types of capacitors are available, with different
capacitance value tolerances, capacitance temperature coefficients,
and equivalent series impedances. For all operating conditions,
connection of a 220µF aluminum electrolytic capacitor or a 47µF
solid tantalum capacitor between the output terminal and ground
will guarantee stable operation.
If a bypass capacitor is connected between the output voltage
adjust (ADJ) pin and ground, ripple rejection will be improved
(please see the section entitled “RIPPLE REJECTION”). When ADJ
pin bypassing is used, the required output capacitor value increases.
Output capacitor values of 220µF (aluminum) or 47µF (tantalum)
provide for all cases of bypassing the ADJ pin. If an ADJ pin bypass
capacitor is not used, smaller output capacitor values are adequate.
The table below shows recommended minimum capacitance values
for stable operation.
In order to ensure good transient response from the power supply
system under rapidly changing current load conditions, designers
generally use several output capacitors connected in parallel. Such
an arrangement serves to minimize the effects of the parasitic
resistance (ESR) and inductance (ESL) that are present in all
capacitors. Cost-effective solutions that sufficiently limit ESR and
ESL effects generally result in total capacitance values in the range
of hundreds to thousands of microfarads, which is more than
adequate to meet regulator output capacitor specifications. Output
capacitance values may be increased without limit.
The circuit shown in Figure 1 can be used to observe the transient
response characteristics of the regulator in a power system under
changing loads. The effects of different capacitor types and values
on transient response parameters, such as overshoot and undershoot, can be quickly compared in order to develop an optimum
solution.
APPLICATION NOTES
Power Supply
FIGURE 1 — DYNAMIC INPUT and OUTPUT TEST
OVERLOAD RECOVERY
Like almost all IC power regulators, the LX8554 is equipped with
Safe Operating Area (SOA) protection. The SOA circuit limits the
regulator's maximum output current to progressively lower values
as the input-to-output voltage difference increases. By limiting the
maximum output current, the SOA circuit keeps the amount of
power that is dissipated in the regulator itself within safe limits for
all values of input-to-output voltage within the operating range of
the regulator. The LX8554 SOA protection system is designed to be
able to supply some output current for all values of input-to-output
voltage, up to the device breakdown voltage.
Under some conditions, a correctly operating SOA circuit may
prevent a power supply system from returning to regulated
operation after removal of an intermittent short circuit at the output
of the regulator. This is a normal mode of operation which can be
seen in most similar products, including older devices such as 7800
series regulators. It is most likely to occur when the power system
input voltage is relatively high and the load impedance is relatively
low.
When the power system is started “cold”, both the input and
output voltages are very close to zero. The output voltage closely
follows the rising input voltage, and the input-to-output voltage
difference is small. The SOA circuit therefore permits the regulator
to supply large amounts of current as needed to develop the
designed voltage level at the regulator output. Now consider the
case where the regulator is supplying regulated voltage to a resistive
load under steady state conditions. A moderate input-to-output
voltage appears across the regulator but the voltage difference is
small enough that the SOA circuitry allows sufficient current to flow
through the regulator to develop the designed output voltage across
the load resistance. If the output resistor is short-circuited to ground,
the input-to-output voltage difference across the regulator suddenly
becomes larger by the amount of voltage that had appeared across
the load resistor. The SOA circuit reads the increased input-tooutput voltage, and cuts back the amount of current that it will
permit the regulator to supply to its output terminal. When the short
circuit across the output resistor is removed, all the regulator output
current will again flow through the output resistor. The maximum
current that the regulator can supply to the resistor will be limited
by the SOA circuit, based on the large input-to-output voltage across
the regulator at the time the short circuit is removed from the output.
If this limited current is not sufficient to develop the designed
voltage across the output resistor, the voltage will stabilize at some
lower value, and will never reach the designed value. Under these
circumstances, it may be necessary to cycle the input voltage down
to zero in order to make the regulator output voltage return to
regulation.
RIPPLE REJECTION
Ripple rejection can be improved by connecting a capacitor
between the ADJ pin and ground. The value of the capacitor should
be chosen so that the impedance of the capacitor is equal in
magnitude to the resistance of R1 at the ripple frequency. The
capacitor value can be determined by using this equation:
C = 1 / (6.28 * F
where: C≡ the value of the capacitor in Farads;
F
R1 ≡ the value of resistor R1 in ohms
At a ripple frequency of 120Hz, with R1 = 100Ω:
C = 1 / (6.28 * 120Hz
The closest equal or larger standard value should be used, in this
case, 15µF.
When an ADJ pin bypass capacitor is used, output ripple
amplitude will be essentially independent of the output voltage. If
an ADJ pin bypass capacitor is not used, output ripple will be
proportional to the ratio of the output voltage to the reference
voltage:
M = V
OUT/VREF
where: M≡ a multiplier for the ripple seen when the
V
For example, if V
M = 2.5V/1.25V= 2
* R1)
R
select an equal or larger standard value.
≡ the ripple frequency in Hz
R
100Ω) = 13.3µF
*
ADJ pin is optimally bypassed.
= 1.25V.
REF
= 2.5V the output ripple will be:
OUT
LX8554-xx
LX8554
ADJ
R2
R1
OUT
ADJ
R2
V
OUT
V
R1
REF
R2
Peff
V
IN
IN
I
ADJ
50µA
V
= V
OUT
FIGURE 2 — BASIC ADJUSTABLE REGULATOR
1 + + I
REF
LOAD REGULATION
Because the LX8554 is a three-terminal device, it is not possible to
provide true remote load sensing. Load regulation will be limited
by the resistance of the wire connecting the regulator to the load.
The data sheet specification for load regulation is measured at the
bottom of the package. Negative side sensing is a true Kelvin
connection, with the bottom of the output divider returned to the
negative side of the load. Although it may not be immediately
obvious, best load regulation is obtained when the top of the resistor
divider, (R1), is connected directly to the case of the regulator, notto the load. This is illustrated in Figure 3. If R1 were connected to
the load, the effective resistance between the regulator and the load
would be:
R2+R1
R
= RP
Peff
where: R
*
R1
≡ Actual parasitic line resistance.
P
When the circuit is connected as shown in Figure 3, the parasitic
resistance appears as its actual value, rather than the higher R
.
Output ripple will be twice as bad as it would be if the ADJ pin
were to be bypassed to ground with a properly selected capacitor.
OUTPUT VOLTAGE
The
LX8554
develops a 1.25V reference voltage between the output
and the adjust terminal (See Figure 2). By placing a resistor, R1,
between these two terminals, a constant current is caused to flow
through R1 and down through R2 to set the overall output voltage.
Normally this current is the specified minimum load current of 10mA.
Because I
through R1, it represents a small error and can usually be ignored.
is very small and constant when compared with the current
ADJ
FIGURE 3 — CONNECTIONS FOR BEST LOAD REGULATION
5
Page 6
PRODUCT DATABOOK 1996/1997
T
J
T
C
T
S
T
A
R
q
JT
R
q
CS
R
q
SA
LX8554-xx
5A E
XTREMELY LOW DROPOUT POSITIVE REGULATORS
RODUCTION DATA SHEET
P
LOAD REGULATION (continued)
Even when the circuit is optimally configured, parasitic resistance
can be a significant source of error. A 100 mil (2.54 mm) wide PC
trace built from 1 oz. copper-clad circuit board material has a
parasitic resistance of about 5 milliohms per inch of its length at
room temperature. If a 3-terminal regulator used to supply 2.50 volts
is connected by 2 inches of this trace to a load which draws 5 amps
of current, a 50 millivolt drop will appear between the regulator and
the load. Even when the regulator output voltage is precisely
2.50 volts, the load will only see 2.45 volts, which is a 2% error. It
is important to keep the connection between the regulator output
pin and the load as short as possible, and to use wide traces or
heavy-gauge wire.
The minimum specified output capacitance for the regulator
should be located near the reglator package. If several capacitors
are used in parallel to construct the power system output capacitance, any capacitors beyond the minimum needed to meet the
specified requirements of the regulator should be located near the
sections of the load that require rapidly-changing amounts of
current. Placing capacitors near the sources of load transients will
help ensure that power system transient response is not impaired
by the effects of trace impedance.
To maintain good load regulation, wide traces should be used on
the input side of the regulator, especially between the input
capacitors and the regulator. Input capacitor ESR must be small
enough that the voltage at the input pin does not drop below V
during transients.
APPLICATION NOTES
can be used, as long as its added contribution to thermal resistance
is considered. Note that the case of all devices in this series is
electrically connected to the output.
Example
Given: V
= 5V
IN
V
OUT
Ambient Temp., T
R
θJT
300 ft/min airflow available
Find: Proper Heat Sink to keep IC's junction
temperature below 125°C.**
Solution: The junction temperature is:
= PD (R
T
J
where: P
IN (MIN)
D
R
θJT
R
θCS
R
θSA
T
S
= 2.8V, I
OUT
= 5.0A
= 50°C
A
= 2.7°C/W for TO-220
+ R
+ R
θJT
θCS
θSA
) + T
A
≡ Dissipated power.
≡ Thermal resistance from the junction to the
mounting tab of the package.
≡ Thermal resistance through the interface
between the IC and the surface on which
it is mounted. (1.0°C/W at 6 in-lbs
mounting screw torque.)
≡
Thermal resistance from the mounting surface
to ambient (thermal resistance of the heat sink).
≡ Heat sink temperature.
V
= V
IN (MIN)
where: V
+ V
OUT
IN (MIN)
V
OUT
V
DROPOUT (MAX)
DROPOUT (MAX)
≡ the lowest allowable instantaneous
voltage at the input pin.
≡ the designed output voltage for the
power supply system.
≡ the specified dropout voltage
for the installed regulator.
THERMAL CONSIDERATIONS
The LX8554 regulator has internal power and thermal limiting
circuitry designed to protect the device under overload conditions.
For continuous normal load conditions, however, maximum junction temperature ratings must not be exceeded. It is important to
give careful consideration to all sources of thermal resistance from
junction to ambient. This includes junction to case, case to heat sink
interface, and heat sink thermal resistance itself.
Junction-to-case thermal resistance is specified from the IC
junction to the back surface of the case directly opposite the die.
This is the lowest resistance path for heat flow. Proper mounting
is required to ensure the best possible thermal flow from this area
of the package to the heat sink. Thermal compound at the case-toheat-sink interface is strongly recommended. If the case of the
device must be electrically isolated, a thermally conductive spacer
First, find the maximum allowable thermal resistance of the
heat sink:
TJ - T
P
D
IN(MAX)
A
- V
θJT
OUT
+ R
) I
125°C - 50°C
(5.0V-2.8V) * 5.0A
)
θCS
= (5.0V-2.8V) * 5.0A
OUT
= 11.0W
=- (R
R
θSA
=(V
P
D
=- (2.7°C/W + 1.0°C/W)
R
θSA
= 3.1°C/W
Next, select a suitable heat sink. The selected heat sink must have
R
≤ 3.1°C/W. Thermalloy heatsink 6296B has R
θSA
300ft/min air flow.
= 3.0°C/W with
θSA
Finally, verify that junction temperature remains within speci-
Although the device can operate up to 150°C junction, it is recommended for long term reliability to keep the junction temperature
below 125°C whenever possible.