NCL2801
www.onsemi.com
11
DETAILED OPERATING DESCRIPTION
Introduction
NCL2801 is designed for working with LED Lighting
applications coping with high ripple voltage on bulk
capacitor and providing optimized line current THD and
good efficiency. In addition, it incorporates protection
features for robust operation. More generally, NCL2801 is
ideal in systems where cost−effectiveness, reliability, low
line current THD, low stand−by power and high efficiency
are key requirements:
•Valley Count Frequency Fold−back: NCL2801 is
designed to drive PFC boost stages in so−called Valley
Count Frequency Fold−back (VCFF). In high load
current condition, the circuit classically operates in
Critical conduction Mode (CrM) also called 1st valley
switching. When output power is decreasing, if a
threshold is reached (determined by sensing the CS pin
impedance during initial power up), a dead time based
on a number of valleys is added. The number of valleys
will increase, each time a dead time window (based on
VCTRL value) is entered. By construction, this counting
process will avoid valley hoping during the mains
voltage period. If the output power continues
decreasing and the 6th valley is reached, extra “analog”
dead time will be added based on a voltage ramp (see
Figure 4). On−time will be synchronized with a valley.
A timer will clamp the total switching period to not
exceed 36.5 ms (the switching frequency will never go
under about 27.4 kHz). The switching frequency
depends on output voltage, input voltage, and boost
inductor value, and increases as the load power
increases. Hysteresis and added to the VCTRL control
windows to avoid valley hopping during steady state
conditions. VCFF maximizes the efficiency at both
nominal and light load. Similarly to FCCrM
controllers, an internal circuitry allows near−unity
power factor even when the switching frequency is
reduced.
•Low Start−up Current: The start−up consumption of the
circuit is minimized to allow the use of high impedance
start−up resistors to precharge the VCC capacitor. Also,
the minimum value of the UVLO hysteresis is 6 V to
avoid the need for large VCC capacitors and help
shorten the start−up time without the need for excessive
dissipation in the start−up circuit. The [*C*] & [*D*]
version is preferred in applications where the circuit is
fed by an external power source (from an auxiliary
power supply or from a downstream converter). After
start−up, the high VCC maximum rating allows a large
operating range from 10.5 V up to 27 V.
•Fast Line / Load Transient Compensation (Dynamic
Response Enhancer): Since PFC stages exhibit low loop
bandwidth, abrupt changes in the load or input voltage
(e.g. at start−up) may cause excessive over or
under−shoot. This circuit limits possible deviations
from the regulation level as follows:
−NCL2801 linearly decays the power delivery to zero
when the output voltage exceeds the soft OVP limit
(105% of VREF) for option [C**]). Soft OVP feature
is disabled on options [A**] &[B**]. If this soft
OVP is too smooth and the output continues to rise,
the circuit immediately (priority to Fast OVP)
interrupts the power delivery when the output
voltage is 112.5 % above its desired level (Fast
OVP) for options [A**]. Options [B**] & [C**] are
providing lower Fast OVP thresholds. Fast OVP
threshold is higher than Soft OVP threshold for
option [C**].
−While disabled on options [*A*], [*C*] and [*E*]
after startup time, NCL2801 has a DRE (Dynamic
Response Enhancer) circuitry on options [*B*],
[*D*]&[*F*] which dramatically speeds−up the
regulation loop when the output voltage goes below
95.5 % of its regulation level. The DRE function is
enabled only after the PFC stage has started−up to
allow normal soft−start operation to occur. For all
the product options, the DRE is active during the
start−up phase to accelerate the start−up (VCTRL
pin voltage is brought at its higher value by the by
half of the 200−mA DRE current source which
charges the capacitors of the compensation network)
•Soft−OVP / Fast−OVP ( Over Voltage Protection)
There are cases (for example during an high−load to
low−load rapid transition) were the bulk capacitor
voltage goes up very rapidly above the voltage
regulation level triggering Over−Voltage protection.
When the bulk capacitor voltage Vbulk reaches typically
105% of its nominal value, the Soft−OVP protection is
triggered, causing the duty−ratio to decrease gradually
down to zero. As a consequence, Vbulk decreases and
when Vbulk reaches the low level of Soft−OVP
threshold (typically 103% of nominal Vbulk) the
protection is released and the voltage regulation loop
takes−over .If Vbulk rises faster and reaches the
Fast−OVP threshold (typically 107% of nominal
Vbulk), the switching is instantaneously stop (DRV
signal is disabled). As a consequence, Vbulk decreases
and when the low level of Fast−OVP threshold is
reached (typically 103% of nominal Vbulk) the
protection is released and the voltage regulation loop
takes−over. Soft−OVP has only one level and can be
disabled dependent on product option. Three Fast_OVP
levels are available by product options : typically 107,
110 and 112% of nominal Vbulk. The 112% option is
well suited for applications using a low value bulk
capacitor were the two−times mains frequency Vbulk