LTC3418
1
3418fc
For more information www.linear.com/LTC3418
Typical applicaTion
DescripTion
8A, 4MHz, Monolithic
Synchronous Step-Down
Regulator
FeaTures
applicaTions
n High Efficiency: Up to 95%
n 8A Output Current
n 2.25V to 5.5V Input Voltage Range
n Low RDS(ON) Internal Switch: 35mΩ
n Tracking Input to Provide Easy Supply Sequencing
n Programmable Frequency: 300kHz to 4MHz
n 0.8V ±1% Reference Allows Low Output Voltage
n Quiescent Current: 380µA
n Selectable Forced Continuous/Burst Mode
®
Operation
with Adjustable Burst Clamp
n Synchronizable Switching Frequency
n Low Dropout Operation: 100% Duty Cycle
n Power Good Output Voltage Monitor
n Overtemperature Protected
n 38-Lead Low Profile (0.75mm) Thermally Enhanced
QFN (5mm × 7mm) Package
n Microprocessor, DSP and Memory Supplies
n Distributed 2.5V, 3.3V and 5V Power Systems
n Automotive Applications
n Point of Load Regulation
n Notebook Computers
The LTC
®
3418 is a high efficiency, monolithic synchronous
step-down DC/DC converter utilizing a constant frequency,
current mode architecture. It operates from an input voltage
range of 2.25V to 5.5V and provides a regulated output
voltage from 0.8V to 5V while delivering up to 8A of output
current. The internal synchronous power switch increases
efficiency and eliminates the need for an external Schottky
diode. Switching frequency is set by an external resistor
or can be synchronized to an external clock. OPTI-LOOP
®
compensation allows the transient response to be optimized
over a wide range of loads and output capacitors.
The LTC3418 can be configured for either Burst Mode
operation or forced continuous operation. Forced con-
tinuous operation reduces noise and RF interference
while Burst Mode operation provides high efficiency by
reducing gate charge losses at light loads. In Burst Mode
operation, external control of the burst clamp level allows
the output voltage ripple to be adjusted according to the
requirements of the application. A tracking input in the
LTC3418 allows for proper sequencing with respect to
another power supply.
2.5V/8A Step-Down Regulator Efficiency and Power Loss vs Load Current
SVIN TRACK
RT
CIN
47µF
×40.2µH
LTC3418
RUN/SS
ITH
PGOOD
SW
PGND
SGND
SYNC/MODE VFB
332Ω
PVIN
820pF
3418 TA01a
1000pF
COUT
100µF
×2
VOUT
2.5V
8A
4.32k
1.69k
30.1k
2.2M
VIN
2.8V TO 5.5V
4.99k
LOAD CURRENT (A)
0.01
60
EFFICIENCY (%)
POWER LOSS (mW)
80
100
0.1 1 10
3418 TA01b
40
50
70
90
30
20
1000
100000
100
10000
10
1
EFFICIENCY
POWER LOSS
V
IN
= 3.3V
V
OUT
= 2.5V
L, LT, LTC and LTM are registered trademarks of Linear Technology Corporation.
Burst Mode and OPTI-LOOP are registered trademarks of Linear Technology Corporation.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Protected by U.S. Patents
including 5481178, 6580258, 6304066, 6127815, 6498466, 6611131, 6724174.
LTC3418
2
3418fc
For more information www.linear.com/LTC3418
pin conFiguraTionabsoluTe MaxiMuM raTings
(Note 1)
Input Supply Voltage ................................... 0.3V to 6V
ITH, RUN/SS, VFB Voltages ......................... 0.3V to VIN
SYNC/MODE Voltages ................................ 0.3V to VIN
TRACK Voltage........................................... 0.3V to VIN
SW Voltage .................................. 0.3V to (VIN + 0.3V)
Operating Temperature Range
(Note 2) ...............................................40°C to 85°C
Junction Temperature (Note 5) ............................. 125°C
Storage Temperature Range ................. 65°C to 125°C
13 14 15 16
TOP VIEW
39
UHF PACKAGE
38-LEAD (7mm × 5mm) PLASTIC QFN
17 18 19
38 37 36 35 34 33 32
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1SW
SW
PVIN
PVIN
PGOOD
RT
RUN/SS
SGND
PVIN
PVIN
SW
SW
SW
SW
PVIN
PVIN
SYNC/MODE
ITH
VFB
SVIN
PVIN
PVIN
SW
SW
PGND
PGND
PGND
TRACK
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
VREF
PGND
PGND
PGND
23
22
21
20
9
10
11
12
TJMAX = 125°C, θJA = 34°C/W, θJC = 1°C/W
EXPOSED PAD (PIN 39) IS PGND, MUST BE SOLDERED TO PCB
orDer inForMaTion
LEAD FREE FINISH TAPE AND REEL PART MARKING PACKAGE DESCRIPTION TEMPERATURE RANGE
LTC3418EUHF#PBF LTC3418EUHF#TRPBF 3418 38-Lead (7mm × 5mm) Plastic QFN 40°C to 85°C
Consult LTC Marketing for parts specified with wider operating temperature ranges.
For more information on lead free part marking, go to: http://www.linear.com/leadfree/
For more information on tape and reel specifications, go to: http://www.linear.com/tapeandreel/. Some packages are available in 500 unit reels through
designated sales channels with #TRMPBF suffix.
http://www.linear.com/product/LTC3418#orderinfo
LTC3418
3
3418fc
For more information www.linear.com/LTC3418
elecTrical characTerisTics
The l denotes the specifications which apply over the full operating
temperature range, otherwise specifications are at TA = 25°C. VIN = 3.3V. (Note 2)
Note 1: Stresses beyond those listed under Absolute Maximum Ratings
may cause permanent damage to the device. Exposure to any Absolute
Maximum Rating condition for extended periods may affect device
reliability and lifetime.
Note 2: The LTC3418 is guaranteed to meet performance specifications
from 0°C to 85°C. Specifications over the –40°C to 85°C operating
temperature range are assured by design, characterization and
correlation with statistical process controls.
Note 3: The LTC3418 is tested in a feedback loop that adjusts VFB to
achieve a specified error amplifier output voltage (ITH).
Note 4: Dynamic supply current is higher due to the internal gate charge
being delivered at the switching frequency.
Note 5: TJ is calculated from the ambient temperature TA and power
dissipation PD as follows:
LTC3418: TJ = TA + (PD)(34°C/W)
Note 6: This parameter is guaranteed by design and characterization.
SYMBOL PARAMETER CONDITIONS MIN TYP MAX UNITS
VIN Input Voltage Range 2.25 5.5 V
VFB Regulated Feedback Voltage 0°C ≤ TA ≤ 85°C
(Note 3)
l
0.792
0.784
0.800
0.800
0.808
0.816
V
V
IFB Feedback Input Current 100 200 nA
VFB Reference Voltage Line Regulation VIN = 2.5V to 5.5V (Note 3) 0.04 0.2 %/V
VLOADREG Output Voltage Load Regulation Measured in Servo Loop, VITH = 0.36V
Measured in Servo Loop, VITH = 0.84V
l
l
0.02
–0.02
0.2
–0.2
%
%
VTRACK Tracking Voltage Offset VTRACK = 0.4V 15 mV
Tracking Voltage Range 0 0.8 V
ITRACK TRACK Input Current 100 200 nA
∆VPGOOD Power Good Range ±7.5 ±9 %
RPGOOD Power Good Resistance 100 150 Ω
IQInput DC Bias Current
Active Current
Shutdown
(Note 4)
VFB = 0.7V, VITH = 1V
VRUN = 0V
380
0.03
450
1.5
µA
µA
fOSC Switching Frequency
Switching Frequency Range
ROSC = 69.8kΩ
(Note 6)
0.88
0.3
1 1.12
4
MHz
MHz
fSYNC SYNC Capture Range (Note 6) 0.3 4 MHz
RPFET RDS(ON) of P-Channel FET ISW = 600mA 35 50
RNFET RDS(ON) of N-Channel FET ISW = –600mA 25 35
ILIMIT Peak Current Limit 12 17 A
VUVLO Undervoltage Lockout Threshold 1.75 2 2.25 V
VREF Reference Output 1.219 1.250 1.281 V
ILSW SW Leakage Current VRUN = 0V, VIN = 5.5V 0.1 1 µA
VRUN RUN Threshold 0.5 0.65 0.8 V
LTC3418
4
3418fc
For more information www.linear.com/LTC3418
Typical perForMance characTerisTics
Quiescent Current
vs Input Voltage
INPUT VOLTAGE (V)
2.5
0
QUIESCENT CURRENT (µA)
100
200
300
33.5 4 4.5
3418 G05
5
400
500
50
150
250
350
450
5.5
INPUT VOLTAGE (V)
2.25
0
LEAKAGE CURRENT (nA)
0.5
1.5
2.0
2.5
4.25
5.0
4.5
3418 G04
1.0
3.25
2.75 4.75
3.75 5.25
3.0
PFET
NFET
3.5
4.0
Switch Leakage vs Input Voltage
Frequency vs Input Voltage
INPUT VOLTAGE (V)
2.25
900
FREQUENCY (kHz)
920
960
980
1000
4.25
1100
1080
3418 G08
940
3.25
2.75 4.75
3.75 5.25
1020
1040
1060
TEMPERATURE (°C)
–40
900
FREQUENCY (kHz)
920
960
980
1000
1100
1040
040 60
3418 G07
940
1060
1080
1020
–20 20 80 100 120
V
IN
= 3.3V
Frequency vs Temperature
Frequency vs ROSC
R
OSC
(kΩ)
10
0
FREQUENCY (kHz)
500
1500
2000
2500
170
4500
3418 G06
1000
90
50 210
130 250
3000
3500
4000
V
IN
= 3.3V
Efficiency and Power Loss
vs Load Current
LOAD CURRENT (A)
0.01
60
EFFICIENCY (%)
POWER LOSS (mW)
80
100
0.1 1 10
3418 G09
40
50
70
90
30
20
1000
100000
100
10000
10
1
EFFICIENCY
POWER LOSS
V
IN
= 3.3V
V
OUT
= 2.5V
TA = 25°C unless otherwise noted.
Switch On-Resistance
vs Input Voltage
On-Resistance vs Temperature
TEMPERATURE (°C)
–40
0
ON-RESISTANCE (mΩ)
5
15
20
25
50
35
040 60
3418 G03
10
40
45
30
PFET
NFET
–20 20 80 100 120
V
IN
= 3.3V
TEMPERATURE (°C)
–40 –20
REFERENCE VOLTAGE (V)
0.7980
0.7990
120
3418 G01
0.7970
0.7960 0 20 40 60 10080
0.8000
0.7975
0.7985
0.7965
0.7995
V
IN
= 3.3V
Internal Reference Voltage
vs Temperature
LTC3418
5
3418fc
For more information www.linear.com/LTC3418
Typical perForMance characTerisTics
Efficiency vs Load Current
LOAD CURRENT (A)
0.01
40
EFFICIENCY (%)
50
60
70
80
0.1 1 10
3418 G10
30
20
10
0
90
100 Burst Mode OPERATION
FORCED CONTINUOUS
V
IN
= 3.3V
V
OUT
= 2.5V
Efficiency vs Load Current
LOAD CURRENT (A)
0.01
40
EFFICIENCY (%)
50
60
70
80
0.1 1 10
3418 G11
30
20
10
0
90
100
3.3V
5V
FORCED CONTINUOUS
V
OUT
= 2.5V
Efficiency vs Load Current
LOAD CURRENT (A)
0.01
40
EFFICIENCY (%)
50
60
70
80
0.1 1 10
3418 G12
30
20
10
0
90
100 3.3V
5V
Burst Mode OPERATION
V
OUT
= 2.5V
Load Regulation
Peak Inductor Current
vs Burst Clamp Voltage
V
BCLAMP
(V)
0
0
PEAK INDUCTOR CURRENT (A)
2
4
6
8
0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8
3418 G13
10
12
0.1 0.3 0.5 0.7
3.3V
5V
LOAD CURRENT (A)
0
–0.30
ΔV
OUT
/V
OUT
(%)
–0.25
–0.20
–0.15
–0.10
2 4 68
3418 G14
–0.05
0
1 3 57
V
IN
= 3.3V
V
OUT
= 1.8V
f = 1MHz
Load Step Transient
OUTPUT
VOLTAGE
100mV/DIV
INDUCTOR
CURRENT
5A/DIV
20µs/DIVV
IN
= 3.3V
V
OUT
= 2.5V
LOAD STEP: 800mA TO 8A
3418 G15
Load Step Transient
OUTPUT
VOLTAGE
100mV/DIV
INDUCTOR
CURRENT
5A/DIV
40µs/DIVV
IN
= 3.3V
V
OUT
= 2.5V
LOAD STEP: 3A TO 8A
3418 G16
Burst Mode Operation Start-Up Transient
OUTPUT
VOLTAGE
100mV/DIV
INDUCTOR
CURRENT
1A/DIV
20µs/DIVVIN = 3.3V
VOUT = 2.5V
LOAD: 200mA
3418 G17
OUTPUT
VOLTAGE
500mV/DIV
INDUCTOR
CURRENT
2A/DIV
1ms/DIVV
IN
= 3.3V
V
OUT
= 2.5V
LOAD: 8A
3418 G18
TA = 25°C unless otherwise noted.
LTC3418
6
3418fc
For more information www.linear.com/LTC3418
pin FuncTions
SW (Pins 1, 2, 11, 12, 20, 21, 30, 31): Switch Node Con-
nection to Inductor. This pin connects to the drains of the
internal main and synchronous power MOSFET switches.
PVIN (Pins 3, 4, 9, 10, 22, 23, 28, 29): Power Input
Supply. Decouple these pins to PGND with capacitors on
all four corners of the package.
PGOOD (Pin 5): Power Good Output. Open-drain logic
output that is pulled to ground when the output voltage
is not within ±7.5% of regulation point.
RT (Pin 6): Oscillator Resistor Input. Connecting a resis-
tor to ground from this pin sets the switching frequency.
RUN/SS (Pin 7): Run Control and Soft-Start Input. Forcing
this pin below 0.5V shuts down the LTC3418. In shutdown
all functions are disabled drawing <1.5µA of supply cur-
rent. A capacitor to ground from this pin sets the ramp
time to full output current.
SGND (Pin 8): Signal Ground. All small-signal components
and compensation components should connect to this
ground, which in turn connects to PGND at one point.
PGND (Pins 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 32, 33, 34, 36, 37,
38): Power Ground. Connect this pin closely to the (–)
terminal of CIN and COUT.
VREF (Pin 16): Reference Output. Decouple this pin with
a 2.2µF capacitor.
SVIN (Pin 24): Signal Input Supply. Decouple this pin to
SGND with a capacitor.
VFB (Pin 25): Feedback Pin. Receives the feedback volt-
age from a resistive divider connected across the output.
ITH (Pin 26): Error Amplifier Compensation Point. The
current comparator threshold increases with this control
voltage. Nominal voltage range for this pin is from 0.2V
to 1.4V with 0.4V corresponding to the zero-sense voltage
(zero current).
SYNC/MODE (Pin 27): Mode Select and External Clock
Synchronization Input. To select Forced Continuous, tie
to SVIN. Connecting this pin to a voltage between 0V and
1V selects Burst Mode operation with the burst clamp set
to the pin voltage.
TRACK (Pin 35): Voltage Tracking Input. Feedback volt-
age will regulate to the voltage on this pin during start-up
power sequencing.
Exposed Pad (Pin 39): The Exposed Pad is PGND and must
be soldered to the PCB ground for electrical connection
and rated thermal performance.
LTC3418
7
3418fc
For more information www.linear.com/LTC3418
block DiagraM
+
+
+
+
+
+
SLOPE
COMPENSATION
RECOVERY
OSCILLATOR
NMOS
CURRENT
COMPARATOR
CURRENT
REVERSE
COMPARATOR
SLOPE
COMPENSATION
LOGIC
ERROR
AMPLIFIER BURST
COMPARATOR
PMOS CURRENT
COMPARATOR
PVIN
VOLTAGE
REFERENCE
35 TRACK
25 VFB
5PGOOD
7RUN/SS RUN
0.74V
SYNC/MODE
0.86V
16
26
10
9
4
3
VREF
ITH
SYNC/MODE
BCLAMP
8
SGND
24
SVIN
+
22
1 2
11 12
20 21
30 31
23
28
29
SW
13 32
14 33
15 34
17 36
18 37
1927
RT
6 38
PGND
3418 BD
+
LTC3418
8
3418fc
For more information www.linear.com/LTC3418
operaTion
Main Control Loop
The LTC3418 is a monolithic, constant frequency, current
mode step-down DC/DC converter. During normal opera-
tion, the internal top power switch (P-channel MOSFET) is
turned on at the beginning of each clock cycle. Current in
the inductor increases until the current comparator trips
and turns off the top power MOSFET. The peak inductor
current at which the current comparator shuts off the top
power switch is controlled by the voltage on the ITH pin.
The error amplifier adjusts the voltage on the ITH pin by
comparing the feedback signal from a resistor divider on
the VFB pin with an internal 0.8V reference. When the load
current increases, it causes a reduction in the feedback
voltage relative to the reference. The error amplifier raises
the ITH voltage until the average inductor current matches
the new load current. When the top power MOSFET shuts
off, the synchronous power switch (N-channel MOSFET)
turns on until either the bottom current limit is reached or
the beginning of the next clock cycle. The bottom current
limit is set at 8A for force continuous mode and 0A for
Burst Mode operation.
The operating frequency is externally set by an external
resistor connected between the RT pin and ground. The
practical switching frequency can range from 300kHz to
4MHz.
Overvoltage and undervoltage comparators will pull the
PGOOD output low if the output voltage comes out of
regulation by ±7.5%. In an overvoltage condition, the top
power MOSFET is turned off and the bottom power MOSFET
is switched on until either the overvoltage condition clears
or the bottom MOSFET’s current limit is reached.
Forced Continuous
Connecting the SYNC/MODE pin to SVIN will disable Burst
Mode operation and force continuous current operation.
At light loads, forced continuous mode operation is less
efficient than Burst Mode operation, but may be desirable in
some applications where it is necessary to keep switching
harmonics out of a signal band. The output voltage ripple
is minimized in this mode.
Burst Mode Operation
Connecting the SYNC/MODE pin to a voltage in the range
of 0V to 1V enables Burst Mode operation. In Burst Mode
operation, the internal power MOSFETs operate intermit-
tently at light loads. This increases efficiency by minimiz-
ing switching losses. During Burst Mode operation, the
minimum peak inductor current is externally set by the
voltage on the SYNC/MODE pin and the voltage on the ITH
pin is monitored by the burst comparator to determine
when sleep mode is enabled and disabled. When the
average inductor current is greater than the load current,
the voltage on the ITH pin drops. As the ITH voltage falls
below 350mV, the burst comparator trips and enables
sleep mode. During sleep mode, the top power MOSFET
is held off while the load current is solely supplied by the
output capacitor. When the output voltage drops, the top
and bottom power MOSFETs begin switching to bring the
output back into regulation. This process repeats at a rate
that is dependent on the load demand.
Pulse skipping operation can be implemented by connect-
ing the SYNC/MODE pin to ground. This forces the burst
clamp level to be at 0V. As the load current decreases, the
peak inductor current will be determined by the voltage
on the ITH pin until the ITH voltage drops below 400mV. At
this point, the peak inductor current is determined by the
minimum on-time of the current comparator. If the load
demand is less than the average of the minimum on-time
inductor current, switching cycles will be skipped to keep
the output voltage in regulation.
Frequency Synchronization
The internal oscillator of the LTC3418 can by synchronized
to an external clock connected to the SYNC/MODE pin.
The frequency of the external clock can be in the range
of 300kHz to 4MHz.
For this application, the oscillator timing resistor should
be chosen to correspond to a frequency that is 25% lower
than the synchronization frequency. During synchroniza-
tion, the burst clamp is set to 0V, and each switching cycle
begins at the falling edge of the clock signal.
LTC3418
9
3418fc
For more information www.linear.com/LTC3418
operaTion
Dropout Operation
When the input supply voltage decreases toward the output
voltage, the duty cycle increases toward the maximum
on-time. Further reduction of the supply voltage forces
the main switch to remain on for more than one cycle
eventually reaching 100% duty cycle. The output voltage
will then be determined by the input voltage minus the
voltage drop across the internal P-channel MOSFET and
the inductor.
Low Supply Operation
The LTC3418 is designed to operate down to an input sup-
ply voltage of 2.25V. One important consideration at low
input supply voltages is that the RDS(ON) of the P-channel
and N-channel power switches increases. The user should
calculate the power dissipation when the LTC3418 is used
at 100% duty cycle with low input voltages to ensure that
thermal limits are not exceeded.
Slope Compensation and Inductor Peak Current
Slope compensation provides stability in constant fre-
quency architectures by preventing subharmonic oscilla-
tions at duty cycles greater than 50%. It is accomplished
internally by adding a compensating ramp to the inductor
current signal. Normally, the maximum inductor peak
current is reduced when slope compensation is added.
In the LTC3418, however, slope compensation recovery
is implemented to keep the maximum inductor peak cur-
rent constant throughout the range of duty cycles. This
keeps the maximum output current relatively constant
regardless of duty cycle.
Short-Circuit Protection
When the output is shorted to ground, the inductor cur-
rent decays very slowly during a single switching cycle.
To prevent current runaway from occurring, a secondary
current limit is imposed on the inductor current. If the
inductor valley current increases larger than 15A, the top
power MOSFET will be held off and switching cycles will
be skipped until the inductor current is reduced.
Voltage Tracking
Some microprocessors and DSP chips need two power
supplies with different voltage levels. These systems often
require voltage sequencing between the core power sup-
ply and the I/O power supply. Without proper sequencing,
latch-up failure or excessive current draw may occur that
could result in damage to the processors I/O ports or the
I/O ports of a supporting system device such as memory,
an FPGA or a data converter. To ensure that the I/O loads
are not driven until the core voltage is properly biased,
tracking of the core supply and the I/O supply voltage is
necessary.
Voltage tracking is enabled by applying a ramp voltage
to the TRACK pin. When the voltage on the TRACK pin
is below 0.8V, the feedback voltage will regulate to this
tracking voltage. When the tracking voltage exceeds 0.8V,
control over the feedback voltage is gradually released.
Full release of tracking control over the feedback voltage
is achieved when the tracking voltage exceeds 1.05V.
Voltage Reference Output
The LTC3418 provides a 1.25V reference voltage that is
capable of sourcing up to 5mA of output current. This
reference voltage is generated from a linear regulator and
is intended for applications requiring a low noise reference
voltage. To ensure that the output is stable, the reference
voltage pin should be decoupled with a minimum of 2.2µF.
LTC3418
10
3418fc
For more information www.linear.com/LTC3418
applicaTions inForMaTion
The basic LTC3418 application circuit is shown on the
front page of this data sheet. External component selection
is determined by the maximum load current and begins
with the selection of the operating frequency and inductor
value followed by CIN and COUT.
Operating Frequency
Selection of the operating frequency is a trade-off between
efficiency and component size. High frequency operation
allows the use of smaller inductor and capacitor values.
Operation at lower frequencies improves efficiency by
reducing internal gate charge losses but requires larger
inductance values and/or capacitance to maintain low
output ripple voltage.
The operating frequency of the LTC3418 is determined
by an external resistor that is connected between the RT
pin and ground. The value of the resistor sets the ramp
current that is used to charge and discharge an internal
timing capacitor within the oscillator and can be calculated
by using the following equation:
ROS C =7.3 1010
f
Ω
2.5kΩ
Although frequencies as high as 4MHz are possible, the
minimum on-time of the LTC3418 imposes a minimum
limit on the operating duty cycle. The minimum on-time
is typically 80ns. Therefore, the minimum duty cycle is
equal to:
100 80ns f(Hz)
Inductor Selection
For a given input and output voltage, the inductor value
and operating frequency determine the ripple current. The
ripple current IL increases with higher VIN or VOUT and
decreases with higher inductance:
ΔIL=VOUT
fL
1 VOUT
V
IN
Having a lower ripple current reduces the core losses in
the inductor, the ESR losses in the output capacitors and
the output voltage ripple. Highest efficiency operation is
achieved at low frequency with small ripple current. This,
however, requires a large inductor.
A reasonable starting point for selecting the ripple current
is IL = 0.4(IMAX). The largest ripple current occurs at the
highest VIN. To guarantee that the ripple current stays
below a specified maximum, the inductor value should
be chosen according to the following equation:
L=VOUT
fΔIL(MAX)
1 VOUT
VIN(MAX)
The inductor value will also have an effect on Burst Mode
operation. The transition from low current operation be-
gins when the peak inductor current falls below a level
set by the burst clamp. Lower inductor values result in
higher ripple current which causes this to occur at lower
load currents. This causes a dip in efficiency in the upper
range of low current operation. In Burst Mode operation,
lower inductance values will cause the burst frequency
to increase.
Inductor Core Selection
Once the value for L is known, the type of inductor must
be selected. Actual core loss is independent of core size
for a fixed inductor value, but it is very dependent on the
inductance selected. As the inductance increases, core
losses decrease. Unfortunately, increased inductance
requires more turns of wire and therefore copper losses
will increase.
Ferrite designs have very low core losses and are pre-
ferred at high switching frequencies, so design goals can
concentrate on copper loss and preventing saturation.
Ferrite core material saturates “hard,” which means that
inductance collapses abruptly when the peak design current
is exceeded. This results in an abrupt increase in inductor
ripple current and consequent output voltage ripple. Do
not allow the core to saturate!
LTC3418
11
3418fc
For more information www.linear.com/LTC3418
applicaTions inForMaTion
Different core materials and shapes will change the size/
current and price/current relationship of an inductor. Toroid
or shielded pot cores in ferrite or permalloy materials are
small and don’t radiate much energy, but generally cost
more than powdered iron core inductors with similar
characteristics. The choice of which style inductor to use
mainly depends on the price vs size requirements and any
radiated field/EMI requirements. New designs for surface
mount inductors are available from Coiltronics, Coilcraft,
Toko and Sumida.
CIN and COUT Selection
The input capacitance, CIN, is needed to filter the trapezoidal
wave current at the source of the top MOSFET. To prevent
large voltage transients from occurring, a low ESR input
capacitor sized for the maximum RMS current should be
used. The maximum RMS current is given by:
IRMS =IOUT(MAX)
VOUT
V
IN
VIN
V
OUT
1
This formula has a maximum at VIN = 2VOUT, where IRMS =
IOUT/2. This simple worst-case condition is commonly used
for design because even significant deviations do not offer
much relief. Note that ripple current ratings from capacitor
manufacturers are often based on only 2000 hours of life
which makes it advisable to further derate the capacitor,
or choose a capacitor rated at a higher temperature than
required. Several capacitors may also be paralleled to meet
size or height requirements in the design.
The selection of COUT is determined by the effective series
resistance (ESR) that is required to minimize voltage ripple
and load step transients as well as the amount of bulk
capacitance that is necessary to ensure that the control
loop is stable. Loop stability can be checked by viewing
the load transient response as described in a later section.
The output ripple, VOUT, is determined by:
ΔVOUT ΔILESR+1
8fC
OUT
The output ripple is highest at maximum input voltage
since IL increases with input voltage. Multiple capacitors
placed in parallel may be needed to meet the ESR and
RMS current handling requirements. Dry tantalum, special
polymer, aluminum electrolytic and ceramic capacitors are
all available in surface mount packages. Special polymer
capacitors offer very low ESR but have lower capacitance
density than other types. Tantalum capacitors have the
highest capacitance density but it is important to only
use types that have been surge tested for use in switching
power supplies. Aluminum electrolytic capacitors have
significantly higher ESR, but can be used in cost-sensitive
applications provided that consideration is given to ripple
current ratings and long term reliability. Ceramic capaci-
tors have excellent low ESR characteristics but can have
a high voltage coefficient and audible piezoelectric effects.
The high Q of ceramic capacitors with trace inductance
can also lead to significant ringing.
Using Ceramic Input and Output Capacitors
Higher values, lower cost ceramic capacitors are now
becoming available in smaller case sizes. Their high ripple
current, high voltage rating and low ESR make them ideal
for switching regulator applications. However, care must
be taken when these capacitors are used at the input and
output. When a ceramic capacitor is used at the input and
the power is supplied by a wall adapter through long wires,
a load step at the output can induce ringing at the input,
VIN. At best, this ringing can couple to the output and be
mistaken as loop instability. At worst, a sudden inrush
of current through the long wires can potentially cause
a voltage spike at VIN large enough to damage the part.
When choosing the input and output ceramic capacitors,
choose the X5R or X7R dielectric formulations. These
dielectrics have the best temperature and voltage char-
acteristics of all the ceramics for a given value and size.
Output Voltage Programming
The output voltage is set by an external resistive divider
according to the following equation:
VOUT =0.8 1+R2
R1
The resistive divider allows pin VFB to sense a fraction of
the output voltage as shown in Figure 1.
LTC3418
12
3418fc
For more information www.linear.com/LTC3418
Burst Clamp Programming
If the voltage on the SYNC/MODE pin is less than VIN by
1V, Burst Mode operation is enabled. During Burst Mode
operation, the voltage on the SYNC/MODE pin determines
the burst clamp level, which sets the minimum peak in-
ductor current, IBURST, for each switching cycle. A graph
showing the relationship between the minimum peak
inductor current and the voltage on the SYNC/MODE pin
can be found in the Typical Performance Characteristics
section. In the graph, VBURST is the voltage on the SYNC/
MODE pin. IBURST can only be programmed in the range
of 0A to 10A. For values of VBURST less than 0.4V, IBURST
is set at 0A. As the output load current drops, the peak
inductor currents decrease to keep the output voltage in
regulation. When the output load current demands a peak
inductor current that is less than IBURST, the burst clamp will
force the peak inductor current to remain equal to IBURST
regardless of further reductions in the load current. Since
the average inductor current is greater than the output load
current, the voltage on the ITH pin will decrease. When
the ITH voltage drops to 350mV, sleep mode is enabled
in which both power MOSFETs are shut off and switching
action is discontinued to minimize power consumption.
All circuitry is turned back on and the power MOSFETs
begin switching again when the output voltage drops out
of regulation. The value for IBURST is determined by the
desired amount of output voltage ripple. As the value of
IBURST increases, the sleep period between pulses and the
output voltage ripple increase. The burst clamp voltage,
VBURST, can be set by a resistor divider from the VFB pin
to the SGND pin as shown in the Typical Application on
the front page of this data sheet.
Pulse skipping, which is a compromise between low output
voltage ripple and efficiency during low load current opera-
tion, can be implemented by connecting the SYNC/MODE
V
FB
V
OUT
R1
3418 F01
R2
SGND
LTC3418
Figure 1. Setting the Output Voltage
pin to ground. This sets IBURST to 0A. In this condition, the
peak inductor current is limited by the minimum on-time
of the current comparator; and the lowest output voltage
ripple is achieved while still operating discontinuously.
During very light output loads, pulse skipping allows only
a few switching cycles to be skipped while maintaining
the output voltage in regulation.
Voltage Tracking
The LTC3418 allows the user to program how its output
voltage ramps during start-up by means of the TRACK
pin. Through this pin, the output voltage can be set up to
either track coincidentally or ratiometrically follow another
output voltage as shown in Figure 2. If the voltage on the
TRACK pin is less than 0.8V, voltage tracking is enabled.
During voltage tracking, the output voltage regulates to
the tracking voltage through a resistor divider network.
VOUT2
VOUT1
3418 F02a
TIME
OUTPUT VOLTAGE
VOUT2
VOUT1
3418 F02a
TIME
OUTPUT VOLTAGE
Figure 2a. Coincident Tracking
Figure 2b. Ratiometric Sequencing
applicaTions inForMaTion
LTC3418
13
3418fc
For more information www.linear.com/LTC3418
The output voltage during tracking can be calculated with
the following equation:
VOUT =VTRACK 1+R2
R1
,VTRACK <0.8V
To implement the coincident tracking in Figure 2a, con-
nect an extra resistor divider to the output of VOUT2 and
connect its midpoint to the TRACK pin of the LTC3418
as shown in Figure 3. The ratio of this divider should be
selected the same as that of VOUT1’s resistor divider.
To
implement the ratiometric sequencing in Figure 2b, the extra
resistor divider’s ratio should be set so that the TRACK pin
voltage exceeds 1.05V by the end of the start-up period.
The LTC3418 utilizes a method in which the TRACK pin’s
control over the output voltage is gradually released as
the TRACK pin voltage approaches 0.8V. With this tech-
nique, some overdrive will be required on the TRACK pin
to ensure that the tracking function is completely disabled
at the end of the start-up period.
For coincident tracking, the following condition should
be satisfied to ensure that tracking is disabled at the end
of start-up.
VOUT2 ≥ 1.32 VOUT1
For ratiometric tracking, the following equation can be
used to calculate the resistor values:
R4=R3 VOUT2
VTRACK
1
V
TRACK
1.05V
top MOSFET turn-on is locked to the falling edge of the
external frequency source. The synchronization frequency
range is 300kHz to 4MHz. Synchronization only occurs
if the external frequency is greater than the frequency
set by the external resistor. Because slope compensation
is generated by the oscillator’s RC circuit, the external
frequency should be set 25% higher than the frequency
set by the external resistor to ensure that adequate slope
compensation is present.
Soft-Start
The RUN/SS pin provides a means to shut down the
LTC3418 as well as a timer for soft-start. Pulling the RUN/
SS pin below 0.5V places the LTC3418 in a low quiescent
current shutdown state (IQ < 1.5µA).
The LTC3418 contains a soft-start clamp that can be set
externally with a resistor and capacitor on the RUN/SS
pin as shown in Typical Application on the front page of
this data sheet. The soft-start duration can be calculated
by using the following formula:
tSS =RS S CSS In VIN
V
IN
1.8V Seconds
When the voltage on the RUN/SS pin is raised above 2V,
the full current range becomes available on ITH.
Efficiency Considerations
The 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. 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.
Although all dissipative elements in the circuit produce
losses, two main sources usually account for most of the
losses: VIN quiescent current and I2R losses.
The VIN quiescent current loss dominates the efficiency loss
at very low load currents whereas the I2R loss dominates
the efficiency loss at medium to high load currents. In a
typical efficiency plot, the efficiency curve at very low load
R2R4
R1R3
VOUT2
(MASTER)
TRACK
PIN
VFB(MASTER)
PIN
3418 F03
Figure 3
Frequency Synchronization
The LTC3418’s internal oscillator can be synchronized
to an external clock signal. During synchronization, the
applicaTions inForMaTion
LTC3418
14
3418fc
For more information www.linear.com/LTC3418
currents can be misleading since the actual power lost is
of no consequence.
1. The VIN quiescent current is due to two components: the
DC bias current as given in the Electrical Characteristics
and the internal main switch and synchronous switch
gate charge currents. The gate charge current results
from switching the gate capacitance of the internal power
MOSFET switches. Each time the gate is switched from
high to low to high again, a packet of charge dQ moves
from VIN to ground. The resulting dQ/dt is the current out
of VIN that is typically larger than the DC bias current. In
continuous mode, IGATECHG = f(QT + QB) where QT and
QB are the gate charges of the internal top and bottom
switches. Both the DC bias and gate charge losses are
proportional to VIN and thus their effects will be more
pronounced at higher supply voltages.
2. I2R losses are calculated from the resistances of the
internal switches, RSW, and external inductor RL. In
continuous mode the average output current flowing
through inductor L is “chopped” between the main
switch and the synchronous switch. Thus, the series
resistance looking into the SW pin is a function of both
top and bottom MOSFET RDS(ON) and the duty cycle
(DC) as follows:
RSW = (RDS(ON)TOP)(DC) + (RDS(ON)BOT)(1 – DC)
The RDS(ON) for both the top and bottom MOSFETs can
be obtained from the Typical Performance Character-
istics curves. Thus, to obtain I2R losses, simply add
RSW to RL and multiply the result by the square of the
average output current.
Other losses including CIN and COUT ESR dissipative
losses and inductor core losses generally account for
less than 2% of the total loss.
Thermal Considerations
In most applications, the LTC3418 does not dissipate
much heat due to its high efficiency.
But, in applications where the LTC3418 is running at high
ambient temperature with low supply voltage and high
duty cycles, such as in dropout, the heat dissipated may
exceed the maximum junction temperature of the part.
If the junction temperature reaches approximately 150°C,
both power switches will be turned off and the SW node
will become high impedance.
To avoid the LTC3418 from exceeding the maximum junc-
tion temperature, the user will need to do some thermal
analysis. The goal of the thermal analysis is to determine
whether the power dissipated exceeds the maximum
junction temperature of the part. The temperature rise is
given by:
TR = (PD)(θJA)
where PD is the power dissipated by the regulator and θJA
is the thermal resistance from the junction of the die to
the ambient temperature. For the 38-Lead 5mm × 7mm
QFN package, the θJA is 34°C/ W.
The junction temperature, TJ, is given by:
TJ = TA + TR
where TA is the ambient temperature.
Note that at higher supply voltages, the junction tempera-
ture is lower due to reduced switch resistance (RDS(ON)).
Checking Transient Response
The regulator loop response can be checked by looking
at the load transient response. Switching regulators take
several cycles to respond to a step in load current.
When a load step occurs, VOUT immediately shifts by an
amount equal to ILOAD(ESR), where ESR is the effective
series resistance of COUT. ILOAD also begins to charge or
discharge COUT generating a feedback error signal used by
the regulator to return VOUT to its steady-state value. During
this recovery time, VOUT can be monitored for overshoot
or ringing that would indicate a stability problem. The ITH
pin external components and output capacitor shown in
the Typical Application on the front page of this data sheet
will provide adequate compensation for most applications.
Design Example
As a design example, consider using the LTC3418 in an
application with the following specifications: VIN = 3.3V,
VOUT = 2.5V, IOUT(MAX) = 8A, IOUT(MIN) = 200mA, f = 1MHz.
Because efficiency is important at both high and low load
current, Burst Mode operation will be utilized.
applicaTions inForMaTion
LTC3418
15
3418fc
For more information www.linear.com/LTC3418
First, calculate the timing resistor:
ROS C =7.3 1010
110
6 2.5k =70.5k
Use a standard value of 69.8k. Next, calculate the inductor
value for about 40% ripple current:
L=2.5V
1MHz
( )
3.2A
( )
1 2.5V
3.3V
=0.19µH
Using a 0.2µH inductor results in a maximum ripple cur-
rent of:
ΔIL=2.5V
1MHz
( )
0.2µH
( )
1 2.5V
3.3V
=3.03A
COUT will be selected based on the ESR that is required to
satisfy the output voltage ripple requirement and the bulk
capacitance needed for loop stability. For this design, five
100µF ceramic capacitors will be used.
CIN should be sized for a maximum current rating of:
IRMS =8A
( )
2.5V
3.3V
3.3V
2.5V 1=3.43ARMS
Decoupling the PVIN and SVIN pins with four 100µF capaci-
tors is adequate for this application.
The burst clamp and output voltage can now be pro-
grammed by choosing the values of R1, R2 and R3. The
voltage on the MODE pin will be set to 0.67V by the resistor
divider consisting of R2 and R3. A burst clamp voltage of
0.67V will set the minimum inductor current, IBURST, to
approximately 1.2A.
If we set the sum of R2 and R3 to 200k, then the following
equations can be solved.
PV
IN
PV
IN
PV
IN
PV
IN
PV
IN
PV
IN
PV
IN
PV
IN
SV
IN
TRACK
PGOOD
RUN/SS
I
TH
R
T
SGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
1
2
11
12
20
21
30
31
25
27
38
37
36
34
33
32
19
18
16
3
4
9
10
22
23
28
29
24
35
5
7
26
6
8
13
14
15
17
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
V
FB
SYNC/MODE
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
V
REF
LTC3418
L1
0.2µH
C1
22pF
X7R
C
OUT
100µF
×5
C
REF
2.2µF
X7R
C
IN
100µF
×4
V
IN
3.3V
V
OUT
2.5V
8A
R1
432k
R
PG
100k
R
SS
2.2M
C
SS
1000pF
X7R
C
ITH
820pF
X7R
R
ITH
7.5k
R
SVIN
R
OSC
69.8k
R2
33.2k
R3
169k
V
REF
C1
47pF
X7R
3418 F04
C
IN
, C
OUT
: AVX 18126D107MAT
L1: TOKO FDV0620-R20M
C
SVIN
1µF
X7R
Figure 4. 2.5V, 8A Regulator at 1MHz, Burst Mode Operation
applicaTions inForMaTion
LTC3418
16
3418fc
For more information www.linear.com/LTC3418
applicaTions inForMaTion
R2
+
R3
=
200k
1+R2
R3
=0.8V
0.67V
The two equations shown above result in the following
values for R2 and R3: R2 = 33.2k, R3 = 169k. The value
of R1 can now be determined by solving the equation:
1+
R1
202.2k =
2.5V
0.8V
R1=430k
A value of 432k will be selected for R1. Figure 4 shows
the complete schematic for this design example.
PC Board Layout Checklist
When laying out the printed circuit board, the following
checklist should be used to ensure proper operation of
the LTC3418. Check the following in your layout.
1. A ground plane is recommended. If a ground plane layer
is not used, the signal and power grounds should be
segregated with all small-signal components returning
to the SGND pin at one point which is then connected
to the PGND pin close to the LTC3418.
2. Connect the (+) terminals of the input capacitor(s), CIN,
as close as possible to the PVIN and PGND pins at all
four corners of the package. These capacitors provide
the AC current into the internal power MOSFETs.
3. Keep the switching node, SW, away from all sensitive
small-signal nodes.
4. Flood all unused areas on all layers with copper. Flooding
with copper will reduce the temperature rise of power
components. You can connect the copper areas to any
DC net (PVIN, SVIN, VOUT, PGND, SGND or any other
DC rail in your system).
5. Connect the VFB pin directly to the feedback resistors.
The resistor divider must be connected between VOUT
and SGND.
6. To minimize switching noise coupling to SVIN, place
an optional local filter between SVIN and PVIN. Most
designs do not require this filter.
Figure 5. LTC3418 Layout Diagram
Bottom LayerTop Layer
LTC3418
17
3418fc
For more information www.linear.com/LTC3418
Typical applicaTions
3.3V, 8A Step-Down Regulator Synchronized to 1.25MHz
PV
IN
PV
IN
PV
IN
PV
IN
PV
IN
PV
IN
PV
IN
PV
IN
SV
IN
TRACK
PGOOD
RUN/SS
I
TH
R
T
SGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
SYNC/MODE
1
2
11
12
20
21
30
31
25
16
38
37
36
34
33
32
19
18
17
3
4
9
10
22
23
28
29
24
35
5
7
26
6
8
13
14
15
27
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
V
FB
V
REF
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
LTC3418
L1
0.33µH
C1
1000pF
X7R
C
OUT
100µF
×3
C
IN
100µF
×2
C
SVIN
1µF
X7R
V
IN
5V
V
OUT
3.3V
8A
R1
6.34k
R
PG
100k
R
SS
2.2M
C
SS
1000pF
X7R
C
ITH
2200pF
X7R
R
ITH
2k
R
SVIN
R
OSC
69.8k R2
2k
C1
47pF
X7R
1.25MHz CLOCK
C
REF
2.2µF
X7R
V
REF
3418 TA02
C
IN
, C
OUT
: TDK C3225X5R0J107M
L1: VISHAY DALE IHLP-2525CZ-01
PV
IN
PV
IN
PV
IN
PV
IN
PV
IN
PV
IN
PV
IN
PV
IN
SV
IN
TRACK
SYNC/MODE
PGOOD
RUN/SS
I
TH
R
T
SGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
1
2
11
12
20
21
30
31
25
16
38
37
36
34
33
32
19
18
17
3
4
9
10
22
23
28
29
24
35
27
5
7
26
6
8
14
15
13
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
V
FB
V
REF
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
LTC3418
L1
0.2µH
C1
1000pF
X7R
C
OUT
100µF
×3
C
IN
100µF
×4
V
IN
3.3V
V
OUT
1.2V
8A
R1
1k
R
PG
100k
R
SS
2.2M
C
SS
1000pF
X7R
C
ITH
2200pF
X7R
R
ITH
4.99k
R
SVIN
R
OSC
30.1k
R2
2k
C1
47pF
X7R
C
REF
2.2µF
X7R
C
SVIN
1µF
X7R V
REF
3418 TA03
C
IN
, C
OUT
: AVX 12106D107MAT
L1: COOPER FP3-R20
1.2V, 8A Step-Down Regulator at 2MHz, Forced Continuous Mode
LTC3418
18
3418fc
For more information www.linear.com/LTC3418
Typical applicaTions
1.8V, 8A Step-Down Regulator with Tracking
TRACK
PVIN
PVIN
PVIN
PVIN
PVIN
PVIN
PVIN
PVIN
SVIN
PGOOD
SYNC/MODE
RUN/SS
ITH
RT
SGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
1
2
11
12
20
21
30
31
25
16
38
37
36
34
33
32
19
18
17
35
3
4
9
10
22
23
29
28
24
5
27
7
26
6
8
13
14
15
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
VFB
VREF
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
LTC3418
L1
0.2µH
C1
1000pF
X7R
COUT
100µF
×2
CIN
100µF
×4
CSVIN
1µF
X7R
VIN
3.3V
VOUT
1.8V
8A
R1
2.55k
RSS
2.2M
RPG
100k
CSS
1000pF
X7R
CITH
2200pF
X7R
RITH
3.32k
RSVIN
ROSC 69.8k
R2
2k
C1
47pF
X7R
CREF
2.2µF
X7R
VREF
3418 TA04
CIN, COUT: TDK C3225X5R0J107M
L1: VISHAY DALE IHLP-2525CZ-01
R4
2k
R3
2.55k
2.5V
I/O SUPPLY
LTC3418
19
3418fc
For more information www.linear.com/LTC3418
Typical applicaTions
1.8V, 16A Step-Down Regulator
PVIN
PVIN
PVIN
PVIN
PVIN
PVIN
PVIN
PVIN
SVIN
TRACK
PGOOD
RUN/SS
ITH
RT
SGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
SYNC/MODE
1
2
11
12
20
21
30
31
25
38
37
36
34
33
32
19
18
17
16
3
4
9
10
22
23
28
29
24
35
5
7
26
6
8
13
14
15
27
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
VFB
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
VREF
LTC3418
L1
0.2µH
C2
1000pF
X7R
COUT
100µF
×4
CIN1
100µF
×4
CSVIN1
1µF
X7R
VIN
3.3V
VOUT
1.8V
16A
R1
2.55k
R2
2k
RPG1
100k
RSS1
2.2M
CSS1
1000pF
X7R
C1A
47pF
X7R
CITH
2200pF
X7R
CREF1
2.2mF
X7R
RITH
2k
ROSC1 59k
RSVIN1
CSVIN2
1µF
X7R
RSVIN2
CREF2
2.2µF
X7R
C1B
47pF
X7R
3418 TA06
PVIN
PVIN
PVIN
PVIN
PVIN
PVIN
PVIN
PVIN
SVIN
TRACK
PGOOD
RUN/SS
ITH
RT
SGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
SYNC/MODE
1
2
11
12
20
21
30
31
25
38
37
36
34
33
32
19
18
17
16
3
4
9
10
22
23
28
29
24
35
5
7
26
6
8
13
14
15
27
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
VFB
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
VREF
LTC3418
L2
0.2µH
C3
1000pF
X7R
CIN2
100µF
×4
R3
2.55k
R4
2k
CIN1, CIN2, COUT: TDK C3225X5R0J107M
L1, L2: VISHAY DALE IHLP-2525CZ-01
RPG2
100k
RSS2
2.2M
CSS2
1000pF
X7R
ROSC2 69.8k
RUN
LTC3418
20
3418fc
For more information www.linear.com/LTC3418
package DescripTion
5.00 ±0.10
NOTE:
1. DRAWING CONFORMS TO JEDEC PACKAGE
OUTLINE M0-220 VARIATION WHKD
2. DRAWING NOT TO SCALE
3. ALL DIMENSIONS ARE IN MILLIMETERS
PIN 1
TOP MARK
(SEE NOTE 6)
37
1
2
38
BOTTOM VIEW—EXPOSED PAD
5.50 REF
5.15 ±0.10
7.00 ±0.10
0.75 ±0.05
R = 0.125
TYP
R = 0.10
TYP
0.25 ±0.05
(UH) QFN REF C 1107
0.50 BSC
0.200 REF
0.00 – 0.05
RECOMMENDED SOLDER PAD LAYOUT
APPLY SOLDER MASK TO AREAS THAT ARE NOT SOLDERED
3.00 REF
3.15 ±0.10
0.40 ±0.10
0.70 ±0.05
0.50 BSC
5.5 REF
3.00 REF 3.15 ±0.05
4.10 ±0.05
5.50 ±0.05 5.15 ±0.05
6.10 ±0.05
7.50 ±0.05
0.25 ±0.05
PACKAGE
OUTLINE
4. DIMENSIONS OF EXPOSED PAD ON BOTTOM OF PACKAGE DO NOT INCLUDE
MOLD FLASH. MOLD FLASH, IF PRESENT, SHALL NOT EXCEED 0.20mm ON ANY SIDE
5. EXPOSED PAD SHALL BE SOLDER PLATED
6. SHADED AREA IS ONLY A REFERENCE FOR PIN 1 LOCATION
ON THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF PACKAGE
PIN 1 NOTCH
R = 0.30 TYP OR
0.35 × 45° CHAMFER
UHF Package
38-Lead Plastic QFN (5mm × 7mm)
(Reference LTC DWG # 05-08-1701 Rev C)
Please refer to http://www.linear.com/product/LTC3418#packaging for the most recent package drawings.
LTC3418
21
3418fc
For more information www.linear.com/LTC3418
Information furnished by Linear Technology Corporation is believed to be accurate and reliable.
However, no responsibility is assumed for its use. Linear Technology Corporation makes no representa-
tion that the interconnection of its circuits as described herein will not infringe on existing patent rights.
revision hisTory
REV DATE DESCRIPTION PAGE NUMBER
C 1/17 Modified Application Circuits 19, 22
(Revision history begins at Rev C)
LTC3418
22
3418fc
For more information www.linear.com/LTC3418
Linear Technology Corporation
1630 McCarthy Blvd., Milpitas, CA 95035-7417
LINEAR TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION 2005
LT 0117 REV C • PRINTED IN THE USA
(408) 432-1900 FAX: (408) 434-0507 www.linear.com/LTC3418
relaTeD parTs
Typical applicaTion
PART NUMBER DESCRIPTION COMMENTS
LT1616 500mA (IOUT), 1.4MHz, High Efficiency Step-Down
DC/DC Converter
90% Efficiency, VIN: 3.6V to 25V, VOUT = 1.25V,
IQ = 1.9mA, ISD < 1µA, ThinSOT Package
LT1676 450mA (IOUT), 100kHz, High Efficiency Step-Down
DC/DC Converter
90% Efficiency, VIN: 7.4V to 60V, VOUT = 1.24V,
IQ = 3.2mA, ISD < 2.5µA, S8 Package
LT1765 25V, 2.75A (IOUT), 1.25MHz, High Efficiency Step-Down
DC/DC Converter
90% Efficiency, VIN: 3V to 25V, VOUT = 1.2V,
IQ = 1mA, ISD < 15µA, S8, TSSOP16E Packages
LTC1879 1.20A (IOUT), 550kHz, Synchronous Step-Down
DC/DC Converter
95% Efficiency, VIN: 2.7V to 10V, VOUT = 0.8V,
IQ = 15µA, ISD < 1µA, TSSOP16 Package
LTC3405/LTC3405A 300mA (IOUT), 1.5MHz, Synchronous Step-Down
DC/DC Converter
95% Efficiency, VIN: 2.75V to 6V, VOUT = 0.8V,
IQ = 20µA, ISD < 1µA, ThinSOT Package
LTC3406/LTC3406B 600mA (IOUT), 1.5MHz, Synchronous Step-Down
DC/DC Converter
95% Efficiency, VIN: 2.5V to 5.5V, VOUT = 0.6V,
IQ = 20µA, ISD < 1µA, ThinSOT Package
LTC3407 Dual 600mA (IOUT), 1.5MHz, Synchronous Step-Down
DC/DC Converter
95% Efficiency, VIN: 2.5V to 5.5V, VOUT = 0.6V,
IQ = 40µA, ISD < 1µA, MS Package
LTC3411 1.25A (IOUT), 4MHz, Synchronous Step-Down
DC/DC Converter
95% Efficiency, VIN: 2.5V to 5.5V, VOUT = 0.8V,
IQ = 60µA, ISD < 1µA, MS Package
LTC3412 2.5A (IOUT), 4MHz, Synchronous Step-Down
DC/DC Converter
95% Efficiency, VIN: 2.5V to 5.5V, VOUT = 0.8V
IQ = 60µA, ISD < 1µA, TSSOP16E Package
LTC3413 3A (IOUT Sink/source), 2MHz, Monolithic Synchronous
Regulator for DDR/QDR Memory Termination
90% Efficiency, VIN: 2.25V to 5.5V, VOUT = VREF/2,
IQ = 280µA, ISD < 1µA, TSSOP16E Package
LTC3414 4A (IOUT), 4MHz, Synchronous Step-Down
DC/DC Converter
95% Efficiency, VIN: 2.25V to 5.5V, VOUT(MIN) = 0.8V,
IQ = 64µA, ISD < 1µA, TSSOP20E Package
LTC3416 4A (IOUT), 4MHz, Synchronous Step-Down
DC/DC Converter with Tracking
95% Efficiency, VIN: 2.25V to 5.5V, VOUT(MIN) = 0.8V,
IQ = 300µA, ISD < 1µA, TSSOP20E Package
Low Noise 1.5V, 8A Step-Down Regulator
PVIN
PVIN
PVIN
PVIN
PVIN
PVIN
PVIN
PVIN
SVIN
TRACK
PGOOD
RUN/SS
ITH
RT
SYNC/MODE
SGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
1
2
11
12
20
21
30
31
25
16
38
37
36
34
33
32
19
18
17
3
4
9
10
22
23
28
29
24
35
5
7
26
6
27
8
13
14
15
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
SW
VFB
VREF
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
PGND
LTC3418
L1
0.2µH
C1
1000pF
X7R
COUT
100µF
×3
CIN
100µF
×4
CSVIN
1µF
X7R
VIN
2.5V
VOUT
1.5V
8A
R1
1.78k
RPG
100k
RSS
2.2M
CSS
1000pF
X7R
CITH
2200pF
X7R
RITH
3.32k
RSVIN
ROSC 69.8k R2
2k
C1
47pF
X7R
CREF
2.2µF
X7R
VREF
3418 TA05
CIN, COUT: TDK C3225X5R0J107M
L1: VISHAY DALE IHLP-2525CZ-01