AS1372
Datasheet
www.austriamicrosystems.com/LDOs/AS1372 Revision 1.4 14 - 19
9.7 Explanation of Dynamic Specifications
9.7.1 Power Supply Rejection Ratio (PSRR)
Known also as Ripple Rejection, this specification measures the ability of the regulator to reject noise and ripple beyond DC. PSRR is a
summation of the individual rejections of the error amplifier, reference and AC leakage through the series pass transistor. The specification, in
the form of a typical attenuation plot with respect to frequency, shows up the gain bandwidth compromises forced upon the designer in low
quiescent current conditions. Generally:
PSSR = dB using lower case to indicate AC values (EQ 13)
Power supply rejection ratio is fixed by the internal design of the regulator. Additional rejection must be provided externally.
9.7.2 Output Capacitor ESR
The series regulator is a negative feedback amplifier, and as such is conditionally stable. The ESR of the output capacitor is usually used to
cancel one of the open loop poles of the error amplifier in order to produce a single pole response. Excessive ESR values may actually cause
instability by excessive changes to the closed loop unity gain frequency crossover point. The range of ESR values for stability is usually shown
either by a plot of stable ESR versus load current, or a limit statement in the datasheet.
Some ceramic capacitors exhibit large capacitance and ESR variations with temperature and DC bias. Z5U and Y5V capacitors may be required
to ensure stability at temperatures below TAMB = -10ºC. With X7R or X5R capacitors, a 1µF capacitor should be sufficient at all operating
temperatures.
Larger output capacitor values (10µF max) help to reduce noise and improve load transient-response, stability and power-supply rejection.
9.7.3 Input Capacitor
If the AS1372 is used stand alone, an input capacitor at VIN is required for stability. It is recommended that a 1.0µF capacitor be connected
between the AS1372 power supply input pin VIN and ground (capacitance value may be increased without limit).
This capacitor must be located at a distance of not more than 1cm from the VIN pin and returned to a clean analog ground. Any good quality
ceramic, tantalum, or film capacitor may be used at the input.
A capacitor at VBIAS is not required if the distance to the supply does not exceed 5cm.
If the AS1372 device is used in the typical application as post regulator after a DC-DC regulator, no input capacitors are required at all as the
capacitors of the DC-DC regulator (CIN and COUT) are sufficient if both components are mounted close to each other and a proper GND plane
is used. If the distance between the output capacitor of the DC-DC regulator and the VIN pin of the AS1372 is larger than 5cm, a capacitor at VIN
is recommended.
9.7.4 Noise
The regulator output is a DC voltage with noise superimposed on the output. The noise comes from three sources; the reference, the error
amplifier input stage, and the output voltage setting resistors. Noise is a random fluctuation and if not minimized in some applications, will
produce system problems.
9.7.5 Transient Response
The series regulator is a negative feedback system, and therefore any change at the output will take a finite time to be corrected by the error
loop. This “propagation time” is related to the bandwidth of the error loop. The initial response to an output transient comes from the output
capacitance, and during this time, ESR is the dominant mechanism causing voltage transients at the output. More generally:
Units are Volts, Amps, Ohms. (EQ 14)
Thus an initial +50mA change of output current will produce a -12mV transient when the ESR=240m. Remember to keep the ESR within
stability recommendations when reducing ESR by adding multiple parallel output capacitors.
After the initial ESR transient, there follows a voltage droop during the time that the LDO feedback loop takes to respond to the output chan ge.
This drift is approx. linear in time and sums with the ESR contribution to make a total transient variation at the output of:
Units are Volts, Seconds, Farads, Ohms. (EQ 15)
Where:
CLOAD is output capacitor
T = Propagation delay of the LDO