TheL4972Ais a 2A monolithicstepdownswitching
regulatorworkingincontinuousmoderealizedinthe
new BCD Technology. This technology allows the
integration of isolated vertical DMOSpower transi-
storsplusmixed CMOS/Bipolar transistors.
The device can deliver 2A at an output voltage ad-
justablefrom 5.1V to 40V and contains diagnostic
andcontrolfunctionsthat make it particularly suita-
ble for microprocessor basedsystems.
BLOCKDIAGRAM
The block diagram shows theDMOS powertran-
sistors and the PWM control loop. Integratedfun-
ctions include a referencevoltagetrimmed to 5.1V
±2%,softstart,undervoltagelockout,oscillatorwith
feedforward control, pulse by pulse current limit,
thermal shutdown and finally the reset and power
fail circuit. The reset and power fail circuit provides
an outputsignalfora microprocessor indicatingthe
statusof thesystem.
Device turn on is around 11V with a typical 1V hy-
sterysis,thisthresholdporvidesacorrectvoltagefor
thedriving stage of the DMOS gateand the hyste-
rysis preventsinstabilities.
Anexternalbootstrapcapacitorchargeto12Vbyan
internalvoltagereferenceis neededto providecor-
rect gatedrive to the power DMOS. The driving cir-
cuit is able to source and sink peak currents of
around0.5A to the gate of the DMOS transistor.A
typical switching time of the current in the DMOS
transistoris50ns.Duetothefastcommutationswit-
ching frequenciesup to 200kHzare possible.
ThePWM controlloopconsists of a sawtoothoscil-
lator, error amplifier,comparator,latchand theout-
putstage.Anerrorsignalis producedbycomparing
theoutputvoltagewiththeprecise5.1V±2%onchip
reference. This error signal is then compared with
the sawtooth oscillator in order to generate frixed
frequencypulse width modulateddrive forthe out-
putstage.APWMlatchisincludedtoeliminatemul-
tiple pulsing within a period even in noisy
environments.
Thegain andstability oftheloopcanbe adjustedby
an externalRC network connectedto the output of
the error amplifier. A voltage feedforward control
has been addedto the oscillator, thismaintainssu-
periorline regulationover a wide input voltageran-
ge.Closingtheloopdirectlygivesanoutputvol-tage
of 5.1V,higher voltages are obtainedby inserting a
voltage divider.
Atturn on,outputovercurrentsare preventedby the
soft start function (fig. 2). The error amplifier is in-
itiallyclampedbyan externalcapacitor,Css,andal-
lowedtorise linearlyunderthechargeof aninternal
constant current source.
Outputoverload protection isprovided bya current
limit circuit. The loadcurrent is sensed bya internal
metalresistorconnectedtoacomparator.Whenthe
load current exceedsa presetthreshold, theoutput
of the comparator setsa flipflop which turns off the
powerDMOS.Thenextclockpulse,fromaninternal
40kHzoscillator,willresettheflipflopandthepower
DMOS will again conduct. This current protection
method,ensuresaconstantcurrentoutputwhenthe
systemisoverloadedorshortcircuitedandlimitsthe
switchingfrequency,inthiscondition,to40kHz.The
Reset and Power fail circuit (fig. 4), generates an
output signal when the supply voltage exceeds a
threshold programmed by an external voltage di-
vider. The reset signal, is generated with a delay
timeprogrammedbya externalcapacitoronthede-
lay pin. When the supply voltage falls below the
thresholdor the outputvoltage goes below 5V, the
resetoutputgoeslowimmediately.The resetoutput
is anopen drain.
Fig. 4A shows the case when the supplyvoltage is
higher than the threshold,but the output voltage is
not yet 5V.
Fig. 4Bshowsthecasewhentheoutputis5.1V,but
the supply voltage is not yet higher than the fixed
threshold.
The thermal protection disables circuit operation
when the junction temperature reaches about
150°C and has a hysterysis to prevent unstable
conditions.
CIRCUIT OPERATION
L4972A-L4972AD
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