LM3500
Synchronous Step-up DC/DC Converter for White LED
Applications
Synchronous Step-up DC/DC Converter for White LED Applications
General Description
The LM3500 is a fixed frequency synchronous step-up
DC/DC converter in a small 8-bump thin micro SMD package. The LM3500 is ideal for white LED applications for
cellular phone back-lighting requiring low current and high
efficiency. Its fixed 1MHz operating frequency allows the use
of small, low ESR capacitors as well as a more predictable
frequency spectrum, which is important in cellular phone
applications. The LM3500 can drive 2 to 4 white LEDs in
series from a single Li-Ion battery or 3 cell NiMH with no
external rectification diode. For white LED applications, a
single external resistor is used to set the maximum LED
current. The white LED current can easily be adjusted using
a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal on the shutdown pin.
The LM3500 uses special protection circuitry on the output
to prevent an overvoltage event if the primary white LED
network should be disconnected eliminating the need of an
extra protection Zener diode. In shutdown, the LM3500 disconnects the input and output creating a true isolation preventing any LED light from emitting over the full input operating voltage range and temperature.
Typical Application Circuit
Features
n Synchronous rectification, high efficiency and no
external schottky diode required
n Uses small surface mount components
n Can drive up to 3 (or 4 low V
n 2.7V to 7V input range
n True shutdown isolation
n Input undervoltage lockout
n Output overvoltage protection, no external zener diode
required
n Requires only a small 16V ceramic capacitor at the
output
n Thermal Shutdown
n 0.1µA shutdown current
n Small 8-bump thin micro SMD package
) white LEDs in series
F
Applications
n LCD Bias Supplies
n White LED Back-Lighting
n Handheld Devices
n Digital Cameras
n Portable Applications
Order NumberPackage TypeNSC Package DrawingTop MarkSupplied As
LM3500TL-16micro SMDTL08SSAC18250 Units, Tape and Reel
LM3500TLX-16micro SMDTL08SSAC183000 Units, Tape and Reel
Pin Description/Functions
PinNameFunction
A1AGNDAnalog ground.
B1V
C1V
C2V
IN
OUT
SW
C3GNDPower Ground.
B3FBOutput voltage feedback connection.
A3NCNo internal connection made to this pin.
A2SHDN
AGND(pin A1): Analog ground pin. The analog ground pin
should tie directly to the GND pin.
V
(pin B1): Analog and Power supply pin. Bypass this pin
IN
with a capacitor, as close to the device as possible, connected between the V
(pin C1): Source connection of internal PMOS power
V
OUT
and GND pins.
IN
device. Connect the output capacitor between the V
GND pins as close as possible to the device.
(pin C2): Drain connection of internal NMOS and PMOS
V
SW
switch devices. Keep the inductor connection close to this
pin to minimize EMI radiation.
GND(pin C3): Power ground pin. Tie directly to ground
plane.
Analog and Power supply input.
PMOS source connection for synchronous rectification.
Switch pin. Drain connections of both NMOS and PMOS power devices.
Shutdown control pin.
FB(pin B3): Output voltage feedback connection. Set the
primary White LED network current with a resistor from the
FB pin to GND. Keep the current setting resistor close to the
device and connected between the FB and GND pins.
NC(pin A3): No internal connection is made to this pin. The
maximum allowable voltage that can be applied to this pin is
OUT
and
7.5V.
SHDN(pin A2): Shutdown control pin. Disable the device
with a voltage less than 0.3V and enable the device with a
voltage greater than 1.1V. The white LED current can be
controlled using a PWM signal at this pin. There is an
internal pull down on the SHDN pin, the device is in a
normally off state.
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LM3500
Absolute Maximum Ratings (Note 1)
If Military/Aerospace specified devices are required,
please contact the National Semiconductor Sales Office/
Distributors for availability and specifications.
V
IN
V
(Note 2)−0.3V to 16V
OUT
V
(Note 2)−0.3V to V
SW
FB Voltage−0.3V to 7.5V
SHDN Voltage
−0.3V to 7.5V
+0.3V
OUT
−0.3V to 7.5V
ESD Ratings (Note 4)
Human Body Model2kV
Machine Model200V
Operating Conditions
Junction Temperature
(Note 3)−40˚C to +125˚C
Supply Voltage2.7V to 7V
NC−0.3V to 7.5V
Maximum Junction Temperature150˚C
Lead Temperature
(Soldering 10 sec.)300˚C
Vapor Phase
Thermal Properties
Junction to Ambient Thermal
Resistance (θ
SMD package (Note 3)
), 8-pin micro
JA
220˚C/W
(60 sec.)215˚C
Infrared
(15 sec.)220˚C
Electrical Characteristics
Specifications in standard type face are for TA= 25˚C and those in boldface type apply over the Operating Temperature
Range of T
Note 1: Absolute maximum ratings are limits beyond which damage to the device may occur. Operating Ratings are conditions for which the device is intended to
be functional, but device parameter specifications may not be guaranteed. For guaranteed specifications and test conditions, see the Electrical Characteristics.
Note 2: This condition applies if V
Note 3: The maximum allowable power dissipation is a function of the maximum operating junction temperature, T
resistance, θ
temperature is calculated using: P
Note 4: The human body model is a 100 pF capacitor discharged through a 1.5 kΩ resistor into each pin. The machine model is a 200 pF capacitor discharged
directly into each pin.
Note 5: All limits guaranteed at room temperature (standard typeface) and at temperature extremes (bold typeface). All room temperature limits are production
tested, guaranteed through statistical analysis or guaranteed by design. All limits at temperature extremes are guaranteed via correlation using standard Statistical
Quality Control (SQC) methods. All limits are used to calculate Average Outgoing Quality Level (AOQL).
Note 6: Typical numbers are at 25˚C and represent the most likely norm.
Note 7: Feedback current flows out of the pin.
Note 8: Current flows into the pin.
= −10˚C to +85˚C. Unless otherwise specified VIN=2.7V.
A
SHDN low
SHDN High
= −40˚C to +125˚C). Unless otherwise specified VIN=2.7V.
J
Quiescent Current, Device
FB>0.54V
Not Switching
Quiescent Current, Device
FB=0V
Switching
ShutdownSHDN = 0V
Min
(Note 5)
1.10.65
Min
(Note 5)
Typ
(Note 6)
Max
(Note 5)
0.650.3
Typ
(Note 6)
Max
(Note 5)
0.951.2
1.82.5
0.12µA
FeedbackVoltageVIN= 2.7V to 7V0.470.50.53V
FeedbackVoltage Line
Regulation
Switch Current LimitVIN= 3.0V, Duty Cycle =
VIN= 2.7V to 7V
70%
0.10.4%/V
400mA
FB Pin Bias CurrentFB = 0.5V (Note 7)45200nA
Input Voltage Range2.77.0V
NMOS Switch R
PMOS Switch R
DSON
DSON
VIN= 2.7V, ISW= 300mA0.43
V
= 6V, ISW= 300mA1.12.3
OUT
Duty Cycle LimitFB = 0V87%
Switching Frequency0.81.01.2MHz
SHDN Pin Current (Note 8)SHDN = 5.5V1830
916
SHDN = GND
0.1
Switch Leakage CurrentVSW= 15V0.010.5µA
OFF Threshold2.32.42.5
ON Threshold1515.516
Protection
V
Bias CurrentV
OUT
PMOS Switch Leakage
Current
SHDN low
SHDN High
<
V
IN
OUT
, and the ambient temperature, TA. See Thermal Properties for the thermal resistance. The maximum allowable power dissipation at any ambient
JA
(MAX) = (T
D
OFF Threshold1414.615
= 15V, SHDN = V
OUT
V
= 15V, VSW=0V
OUT
IN
260400µA
0.013µA
0.650.3
1.10.65
>
.IfV
V
IN
J(MAX)−TA
, a voltage greater than VIN+ 0.3V should not be applied to the V
OUT
)/θJA. Exceeding the maximum allowable power dissipation will cause excessive die temperature.
or VSWpins.
OUT
, the junction-to-ambient thermal
J(MAX)
Units
V
Units
mA
Ω
µASHDN = 2.7V
V
V
V
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Typical Performance Characteristics
LM3500
Switching Quiescent Current vs V
2006575520065756
2 LED Efficiency vs LED Current
L = Coilcraft DT1608C-223,
Efficiency = 100*(P
IN
/(2V
LED*ILED
IN
Non-Switching Quiescent Current vs V
IN
2 LED Efficiency vs LED Current
L = TDK VLP4612T-220MR34,
))
Efficiency = 100*(PIN/(2V
LED*ILED
))
3 LED Efficiency vs LED Current
L = Coilcraft DT1608C-223,
Efficiency = 100*(P
IN
/(3V
LED*ILED
20065757
))
20065758
3 LED Efficiency vs LED Current
L = TDK VLP4612T-220MR34,
Efficiency = 100*(PIN/(3V
LED*ILED
20065779
))
20065780
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Typical Performance Characteristics (Continued)
LM3500
4 LED Efficiency vs LED Current
L = Coilcraft DT1608C-223,
Efficiency = 100*(P
2 LED Efficiency vs V
IN
/(4V
LED*ILED
IN
L = Coilcraft DT1608C-223,
Efficiency = 100*(P
IN
/(2V
LED*ILED
))
20065759
))
4 LED Efficiency vs LED Current
L = TDK VLP4612T-220MR34,
Efficiency = 100*(PIN/(4V
3 LED Efficiency vs V
LED*ILED
IN
L = Coilcraft DT1608C-223,
Efficiency = 100*(P
IN
/(3V
LED*ILED
))
20065781
))
2006576920065770
4 LED Efficiency vs V
IN
L = Coilcraft DT1608C-223,
Efficiency = 100*(P
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IN
/(4V
LED*ILED
))
20065773
Output Power vs V
IN
(L = Coilcraft DT1608C-223)
20065784
Typical Performance Characteristics (Continued)
Output Power vs Temperature
(L = Coilcraft DT1608C-223)SHDN Pin Current vs SHDN Pin Voltage
2006578520065761
LM3500
Switch Current Limit vs V
IN
Switch Current Limit vs Temperature (V
Switch Current Limit vs Temperature (V
20065762
=12V)Oscillator Frequency vs V
OUT
20065763
IN
OUT
=8V)
20065776
20065764
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Typical Performance Characteristics (Continued)
LM3500
V
DC Bias vs V
OUT
FB Voltage vs V
VoltageFB Voltage vs Temperature
OUT
20065765
NMOS R
IN
DSON
(ISW= 300mA)
vs V
20065766
IN
PMOS R
20065767
vs TemperatureTypical VINRipple
DSON
20065775
3 LEDs, R
1) SW, 10V/div, DC
, 100mA/div, DC
3) I
L
4) V
IN
T = 250ns/div
=22Ω,VIN= 3.0V
LED
, 100mV/div, AC
20065774
20065768
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Typical Performance Characteristics (Continued)
Start-UpSHDN Pin Duty Cycle Control Waveforms
LM3500
3 LEDs, R
1) SHDN, 1V/div, DC
2) IL, 100mA/div, DC
3) I
LED
T = 100µS/div
V
OUT
3) V
OUT
T = 1mS/div
=22Ω,VIN= 3.0V
LED
, 20mA/div, DC
Typical V
open circuit and equals approx. 15V DC, VIN= 3.0V
, 200mV/div, AC
Ripple, OVP Functioning
OUT
20065771
20065782
3 LEDs, R
1) SHDN, 1V/div, DC
2) IL, 100mA/div, DC
3) I
LED
4) V
OUT
T = 1mS/div
=22Ω,VIN= 3.0V, SHDN frequency = 200Hz
LED
, 20mA/div, DC
, 10V/div, DC
20065772
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Operation
LM3500
20065704
FIGURE 2. LM3500 Block Diagram
The LM3500 utilizes a synchronous Current Mode PWM
control scheme to regulate the feedback voltage over almost
all load conditions. The DC/DC controller acts as a controlled
current source ideal for white LED applications. The LM3500
is internally compensated preventing the use of any external
compensation components providing a compact overall solution. The operation can best be understood referring to the
block diagram in Figure 2. At the start of each cycle, the
oscillator sets the driver logic and turns on the NMOS power
device conducting current through the inductor and turns off
the PMOS power device isolating the output from the V
SW
pin. The LED current is supplied by the output capacitor
when the NMOS power device is active. During this cycle,
the output voltage of the EAMP controls the current through
the inductor. This voltage will increase for larger loads and
decrease for smaller loads limiting the peak current in the
inductor minimizing EMI radiation. The EAMP voltage is
compared with a voltage ramp and the sensed switch voltage. Once this voltage reaches the EAMP output voltage,
the PWM COMP will then reset the logic turning off the
NMOS power device and turning on the PMOS power device. The inductor current then flows through the PMOS
power device to the white LED load and output capacitor.
The inductor current recharges the output capacitor and
supplies the current for the white LED branches. The oscillator then sets the driver logic again repeating the process.
The Duty Limit Comp is always operational preventing the
NMOS power switch from being on more than one cycle and
conducting large amounts of current.
The LM3500 has dedicated protection circuitry active during
normal operation to protect the IC and the external components. The Thermal Shutdown circuitry turns off both the
NMOS and PMOS power devices when the die temperature
reaches excessive levels. The LM3500 has a UVP Comp
that disables both the NMOS and PMOS power devices
when battery voltages are too low preventing an on state of
the power devices which could conduct large amounts of
current. The OVP Comp prevents the output voltage from
increasing beyond 15.5V when the primary white LED network is removed or if there is an LED failure, allowing the use
of small 16V ceramic capacitors at the output. This comparator has a 0.9V hysteresis that will regulate the output voltage
between 15.5V and 14.6V typically. The LM3500 features a
shutdown mode that reduces the supply current to 0.1uAand
isolates the input and output of the converter.
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Application Information
ADJUSTING LED CURRENT
The White LED current is set using the following equation:
The LED current can be controlled using a PWM signal on
the SHDN pin with frequencies in the range of 100Hz
(greater than visible frequency spectrum) to 1kHz. For controlling LED currents down to the µA levels, it is best to use
a PWM signal frequency between 200-500Hz. The LM3500
LED current can be controlled with PWM signal frequencies
above 1kHz but the controllable current decreases with
higher frequency. The maximum LED current would be
achieved using the equation above with 100% duty cycle, ie.
the SHDN pin always high.
The minimum number of LEDs the LM3500 can drive is 2 in
series and the maximum is 4. The LM3500 can also drive
multiple strings of white LEDs, see typical applications for
suggestions. When driving 4 LEDs in series the application
should use lower forward voltage drop white LEDs to prevent
the OVP function from activating during normal operation.
OUTPUT OVERVOLTAGE PROTECTION
The LM3500 contains dedicated circuitry for monitoring the
output voltage. In the event that the primary LED network is
disconnected the output will increase and be limited to
15.5V. There is a 900mV hysteresis associated with this
circuitry which will cause the output to fluctuate between
15.5V and 14.6V if the primary network is disconnected. In
the event that the network is reconnected regulation will
begin at the appropriate output voltage. The 15.5V limit
allows the use of 16V 1µF ceramic output capacitors creating an overall small solution for white LED applications.
RELIABILITY AND THERMAL SHUTDOWN
The maximum continuous pin current for the 8 pin thin micro
SMD package is 535mA. When driving the device near its
power output limits the V
than 535mA (see INDUCTOR SELECTION section for average switch current). To preserve the long term reliability of
the device the average switch current should not exceed
535mA.
The LM3500 has an internal thermal shutdown function to
protect the die from excessive temperatures. The thermal
shutdown trip point is typically 150˚C. There is a hysteresis
of typically 35˚C so the die temperature must decrease to
approximately 115˚C before the LM3500 will return to normal
operation.
INDUCTOR SELECTION
The inductor used with the LM3500 must have a saturation
current greater than the cycle by cycle peak inductor current
(see Typical Peak Inductor Currents table below). Choosing
inductors with low DCR decreases power losses and increases efficiency.
The minimum inductor value required for the LM3500 can be
calculated using the following equation:
pin can see a higher DC current
SW
where L is in µH, VINis the input supply of the chip in Volts,
is the ON resistance of the NMOS power switch
R
DSON
found in the Typical Performance Characteristics section in
ohms and D is the duty cycle of the switching regulator. The
above equation is only valid for D greater than 0.5. For
applications where the minimum duty cycle is less than or
equal to 0.5, use 0.51 for the inductor equation above. The
duty cycle, D, is given by the following equation:
where V
is the voltage at pin C1.
OUT
Typical Peak Inductor Currents (mA)
#
V
(V)
LEDs
IN
(in
15mA20mA30mA40mA50mA60
series)
LED Current
mA
2.7282100134160204234
3118138190244294352
4142174244322XX
3.327690116136172198
3110126168210250290
4132158212270320X
4.22647696116142162
3102116148180210246
4122146186232272318
CIN=C
L = 22 µH, 160 mΩ DCR max. Coilcraft DT1608C-223
LED V
applications.
LED V
=1µF
OUT
= 3.77V at 20mA and room temperature for the 2 and 3 LED
F
= 3.41V at 20mA and room temperature for the 4 LED application.
F
The typical cycle-by-cycle peak inductor current can be calculated from the following equation:
where I
is the total load current, FSWis the switching
OUT
frequency, L is the inductance and η is the converter efficiency of the total driven load. A good typical number to use
for η is 0.8. The value of η can vary with load and duty cycle.
The average inductor current, which is also the average V
SW
pin current, is given by the following equation:
LM3500
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Application Information (Continued)
The maximum output current capability of the LM3500 can
LM3500
be estimated with the following equation:
where ICLis the current limit. Some recommended inductors
include but are not limited to:
Coilcraft DT1608C series
Coilcraft DO1608C series
TDK VLP4612 series
TDK VLP5610 series
TDK VLF4012A series
CAPACITOR SELECTION
Choose low ESR ceramic capacitors for the output to minimize output voltage ripple. Multilayer X7R or X5R type ceramic capacitors are the best choice. For most applications,
a 1µF ceramic output capacitor is sufficient.
Local bypassing for the input is needed on the LM3500.
Multilayer X7R or X5R ceramic capacitors with low ESR are
a good choice for this as well. A 1µF ceramic capacitor is
sufficient for most applications. However, for some applications at least a 4.7µF ceramic capacitor may be required for
proper startup of the LM3500. Using capacitors with low
ESR decreases input voltage ripple. For additional bypassing, a 100nF ceramic capacitor can be used to shunt high
frequency ripple on the input. Some recommended capacitors include but are not limited to:
TDK C2012X7R1C105K
Taiyo-Yuden EMK212BJ105 G
LAYOUT CONSIDERATIONS
The input bypass capacitor C
, as shown in Figure 2, must
IN
be placed close to the device and connect between the V
and GND pins. This will reduce copper trace resistance
which effects the input voltage ripple of the IC. For additional
input voltage filtering, a 100nF bypass capacitor can be
placed in parallel with C
to ground. The output capacitor, C
to shunt any high frequency noise
IN
, should also be placed
OUT
close to the LM3500 and connected directly between the
and GND pins. Any copper trace connections for the
V
OUT
capacitor can increase the series resistance, which
C
OUT
directly effects output voltage ripple and efficiency. The current setting resistor, R
, should be kept close to the FB pin
LED
to minimize copper trace connections that can inject noise
into the system. The ground connection for the current setting resistor should connect directly to the GND pin. The
AGND pin should connect directly to the GND pin. Not
connecting the AGND pin directly, as close to the chip as
possible, may affect the performance of the LM3500 and
limit its current driving capability. Trace connections made to
the inductor should be minimized to reduce power dissipation, EMI radiation and increase overall efficiency. It is good
practice to keep the V
routing away from sensitive pins
SW
such as the FB pin. Failure to do so may inject noise into the
FB pin and affect the regulation of the device. See Figure 3
and Figure 4 for an example of a good layout as used for the
LM3500 evaluation board.
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