LTC3897-2
1
Rev. A
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TYPICAL APPLICATION
FEATURES DESCRIPTION
PolyPhase
®
Synchronous Boost Controller
with Input/Output Protection
The LTC
®
3897-2 is a synchronous boost DC/DC controller
with surge stopper and ideal diode controller.
The boost controller drives two N-channel power MOSFET
stages out-of-phase to reduce input and output capacitor
requirements, allowing the use of smaller inductors than
the single-phase equivalent. Synchronous rectification
reduces power loss and eases thermal requirements.
The surge stopper controls the gate of an external N-channel
MOSFET to protect against high voltage input transients and
provides inrush current control, overcurrent protection and
output disconnect for the boost converter. The integrated
ideal diode controller drives another N-channel MOSFET to
replace a Schottky diode for reverse input protection and
voltage holdup or peak detection. It controls the forward
voltage drop across the MOSFET and minimizes reverse
current flow.
The differences between the LTC3897-2 and LTC3897 are
shown in Table1.
All registered trademarks and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Protected
by U. S. Patents, including 5408150, 5481178, 5705919, 5929620, 6144194, 6177787,
6580258.
24V/10A 2-Phase Synchronous Boost Converter with Surge Protection and Reverse Protection
APPLICATIONS
n Input Supply Range: 4.5V to 65V (Up to 75V Surge)
n Reverse Input Protection to –40V
n Inrush Current Control, Overcurrent Protection and
Output Disconnect for Boost Converter
n Input Voltage Surge Protection with Adjustable
Clamp Voltage
n Onboard Ideal Diode Controller
n Low Quiescent Current: 55µA
n 2-Phase Operation Reduces Required Input and
Output Capacitance and Noise
n Output Voltage Up to 60V
n Adjustable Gate Drive Level 5V to 10V (OPTI-DRIVE)
for Logic-Level or Standard Threshold FETs
n No External Bootstrap Diodes Required
n 5mm×9mm QFN-44 Package with High Voltage
PinSpacing
n Industrial
n Automotive
n Military/Avionics
n Telecommunications
VIN OPERATES THROUGH TRANSIENTS UP TO 75V.
WHEN VIN > 24V, VOUT FOLLOWS VIN UP TO 57V.
FREQ
GND
SG
VBIAS
DG
IS
SPFB
IS+
RUN
VIN
ITH
DRVCC
INTVCC
DRVUV
DRVSET
SENSE2+
TG1
BOOST1
SENSE1
BG1
SW1
BG2
SENSE1+
SENSE2
TG2
BOOST2
SW2
VFB
DTC
TMR
LTC3897-2
38972 TA01a
0.1µF
0.1µF
1nF
4.7µF
5mΩ 3.5µH
5mΩ 3.5µH
24.9k
0.1µF
15nF
F
549k
2mΩ
12.1k
10Ω
10nF
VIN
6V TO
55V
VOUT
24V
10A
220µF
REVERSE CURRENT PROTECTION (IDEAL DIODE)
REVERSE INPUT VOLTAGE PROTECTION
INPUT VOLTAGE SURGE PROTECTION
IN-RUSH/OVERCURRENT PROTECTION
8.66k
475k
PINS NOT SHOWN IN THIS CIRCUIT:
PLLIN/MODE, ILIM, PHASMD,
CLKOUT, EXTVCC, SGEN, DGEN
33µF
BURST EFFICIENCY
BURST LOSS
OUTPUT CURRENT (A)
0.001
0.01
0.1
1
10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
1
10
100
1k
10k
100k
EFFICIENCY (%)
POWER LOSS (mW)
38972 TA01b
VIN = 12V
VOUT = 24V
Burst Mode OPERATION
FIGURE 17 CIRCUIT
Efficiency and Power Loss
vs Output Current
LTC3897-2
2
Rev. A
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PIN CONFIGURATIONABSOLUTE MAXIMUM RATINGS
VIN, SGEN ................................................... 40V to 76V
VBIAS, IS+, IS, .........................................................76V
SENSE1+, SENSE2+, SENSE1, SENSE2 ..................65V
CS ............................................................... 40V to 76V
SG, DG (Note 8) ...........................CS – 0.3V to CS + 10V
BOOST1 and BOOST2 .................................0.3V to 71V
SW1 and SW2 ............................................... 5V to 65V
BG1, BG2, TG1, TG2 ........................................... (Note 9)
RUN, DGEN ................................................ 0.3V to 76V
PLLIN/MODE, TMR, VFB, SPFB .................... 0.3V to 6V
INTVCC ......................................................... 0.3V to 6V
EXTVCC ...................................................... 0.3V to 14V
DRVCC, (BOOST1-SW1), (BOOST2-SW2) ....0.3V to 11V
(SENSE1+-SENSE1),
(SENSE2+-SENSE2) ............................. 0.3V to 0.3V
ILIM, SS, ITH, FREQ,
PHASMD, DTC .......................0.3V to INTVCC + 0.3V
DRVUV, DRVSET ........................0.3V to INTVCC + 0.3V
Operating Junction Temperature Range
(Notes 2, 3) ........................................ 40°C to 150°C
Storage Temperature Range .................. 65°C to 150°C
(Note 1)
15 16 17 18
TOP VIEW
UHG PACKAGE
44(38)-LEAD (5mm × 8mm) PLASTIC QFN
θJA = 36°C/W
EXPOSED PAD (PIN 45) IS GND, MUST BE SOLDERED TO PCB
20 21 22
44 43 42 40 39 38 37
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1DGEN
PLLIN/MODE
FREQ
PHASMD
ILIM
SENSE1+
SENSE1
DTC
DRVUV
DRVSET
INTVCC
RUN
ITH
SENSE2
SG
VIN
TG1
SW1
BOOST1
BG1
VBIAS
EXTVCC
DRVCC
BG2
SGEN
TMR
SPFB
IS
IS+
DG
CS
SENSE2+
VFB
SS
CLKOUT
TG2
SW2
BOOST2
9
10
11
12
13
14
36
34
32
31
30
28
27
26
25
24
45
GND
ORDER INFORMATION
LEAD FREE FINISH TAPE AND REEL PART MARKING PACKAGE DESCRIPTION TEMPERATURE RANGE
LTC3897EUHG-2#PBF LTC3897EUHG-2#TRPBF 38972 38-Lead (5mm × 8mm) Plastic QFN –40°C to 125°C
LTC3897IUHG-2#PBF LTC3897IUHG-2#TRPBF 38972 38-Lead (5mm × 8mm) Plastic QFN –40°C to 125°C
LTC3897HUHG-2#PBF LTC3897HUHG-2#TRPBF 38972 38-Lead (5mm × 8mm) Plastic QFN –40°C to 150°C
Contact the factory for parts specified with wider operating temperature ranges. *The temperature grade is identified by a label on the shipping container.
Tape and reel specifications. Some packages are available in 500 unit reels through designated sales channels with #TRMPBF suffix.
LTC3897-2
3
Rev. A
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ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS
SYMBOL PARAMETER CONDITIONS MIN TYP MAX UNITS
Supply Voltage and Operating Current
VBIAS Bias Voltage Operating Range 4.5 75 V
SENSE Pins Common Mode Range
(BOOST Converter Input Supply Voltage)
2.3 65 V
VIN Input Supply Voltage Operating Range 4.2 75 V
Reverse Input Current VIN = –30V 0 –10 µA
IQInput DC Supply Current (Note 5)
Pulse-Skipping or Forced Continuous Mode RUN = 12V, VFB = 1.25V (No Load) 1.32 mA
Burst Mode (Sleep) RUN = 12V, DGEN = SGEN = 0V, VFB=1.25V
(No Load), CS = IS+ = IS = VSPFB = 0V
55 90 µA
RUN = DGEN = 12V, SGEN = 0V, VFB=1.25V
(No Load), CS = 12V, IS+ = IS = CS – 0.1V
125 190 µA
RUN = 12V, DGEN = 0V, SGEN = 12V,
VFB=1.25V (No Load), CS = IS+ = IS = 12V
260 380 µA
RUN = DGEN = SGEN = 12V, VFB=1.25V
(No Load), CS = 12V, IS+ = IS = CS – 0.1V
325 450 µA
Shutdown RUN = DGEN = SGEN = 0V 15 22 µA
BOOST Controller Main Control Loop
VOUT Regulated Boost Output Voltage in
Synchronous Configuration
60 V
VFB Regulated Feedback Voltage ITH = 1.2 V (Note 4) l1.188 1.200 1.212 V
IFB Feedback Current (Note 4) ±10 ±50 nA
Reference Line Voltage Regulation (Note 4) VIN = 6V to 75V 0.002 0.02 %/V
Output Voltage Load Regulation (Note 4)
(Note 4) Measured in Servo Loop,
ITH Voltage = 1V to 0.6V
l0.01 0.1 %
(Note 4) Measured in Servo Loop,
ITH Voltage = 1V to 1.4V
l–0.01 –0.1 %
gmError Amplifier Transconductance ITH = 1.2 V 2 mmho
UVLO Undervoltage Lockout DRVCC Ramping Up
DRVUV = 0V
DRVUV = INTVCC
l
l
4.0
7.5
4.2
7.8
V
V
DRVCC Ramping Down
DRVUV = 0V
DRVUV = INTVCC
l
l
3.6
6.4
3.8
6.7
4.0
7.0
V
V
VRUN RUN Pin ON Threshold VRUN Rising l1.18 1.28 1.38 V
RUN Pin Hysteresis 100 mV
ISS Soft-Start Charge Current VSS = GND 7 10 13 µA
VSENSE1,2(MAX)
Maximum Current Sense Threshold VFB = 1.15V, ILIM = INTVCC, VSENSE+=12V l125 140 155 mV
VFB = 1.15V, ILIM = Float, VSENSE+=12V l85 95 105 mV
VFB = 1.15V, ILIM = GND, VSENSE+=12V l41 48 55 mV
Matching Between VSENSE1(MAX) and
VSENSE2(MAX)
VFB = 1.15V, ILIM = INTVCC, VSENSE+=12V l–12 0 12 mV
VFB = 1.15V, ILIM = Float, VSENSE+=12V l–10 0 10 mV
VFB = 1.15V, ILIM = GND, VSENSE+=12V l–9 0 9 mV
The l denotes the specifications which apply over the specified operating
junction temperature range, otherwise specifications are at TA = 25°C (Note 2). VIN = 12V, VBIAS = 12V, unless otherwise noted.
LTC3897-2
4
Rev. A
For more information www.analog.com
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS
The l denotes the specifications which apply over the specified operating
junction temperature range, otherwise specifications are at TA = 25°C (Note 2). VIN = 12V, VBIAS = 12V, unless otherwise noted.
SYMBOL PARAMETER CONDITIONS MIN TYP MAX UNITS
SENSE+ Pin Current VFB = 1.1V, ILIM = Float 250 350 µA
SENSE Pin Current VFB = 1.1V, ILIM = Float ±2 µA
Top Gate Pull-Up Resistance DRVCC = 10V 2.5 Ω
Top Gate Pull-Down Resistance DRVCC = 10V 1.5 Ω
Bottom Gate Pull-Up Resistance DRVCC = 10V 2.5 Ω
Bottom Gate Pull-Down Resistance DRVCC = 10V 1 Ω
BDSW BOOST to DRVCC Switch On-Resistance VSW = 0V, VDRVSET = INTVCC 2.6 3.7 Ω
Top Gate Off to Bottom Gate On Switch-On
Delay Time
DTC = 0V 55 75 ns
DTC = Float 90 130 ns
DTC = INTVCC 170 275 ns
Bottom Gate Off to Top Gate On Switch-On
Delay Time
DTC = 0V 55 75 ns
DTC = Float 90 130 ns
DTC = INTVCC 170 275 ns
Maximum BG Duty Factor 96 %
tON(MIN) Minimum BG On-Time (Note 7) VDRVSET = INTVCC 90 ns
DRVCC LDO Regulator
DRVCC Voltage from Internal VBIAS LDO VEXTVCC = 0V
7V < VBIAS < 75V, DRVSET = 0V
11V < VBIAS < 75V, DRVSET = INTVCC
5.8
9.6
6.0
10.0
6.2
10.4
V
V
DRVCC Load Regulation from VBIAS LDO ICC = 0mA to 50mA, VEXTVCC = 0V,
VDRVSET=INTVCC
0.7 2 %
DRVCC Voltage from Internal EXTVCC LDO 7V < VEXTVCC < 13V, DRVSET = 0V
11V < VEXTVCC < 13V, DRVSET = INTVCC
5.8
9.6
6.0
10.0
6.2
10.4
V
V
DRVCC Load Regulation from
Internal EXTVCC LDO
ICC = 0mA to 50mA, VEXTVCC = 8.5V,
VDRVSET=0V
0.7 2 %
EXTVCC LDO Switchover Voltage EXTVCC Ramping Positive
DRVUV = 0V
DRVUV = INTVCC
4.5
7.4
4.7
7.7
4.9
8.0
V
V
EXTVCC Hysteresis 250 mV
Programmable DRVCC RDRVSET = 50kΩ, VEXTVCC = 0V 5.0 V
Programmable DRVCC RDRVSET = 70kΩ, VEXTVCC = 0V 6.4 7.0 7.6 V
Programmable DRVCC RDRVSET = 90kΩ, VEXTVCC = 0V 9.0 V
Oscillator and Phase-Locked Loop
Programmable Frequency RFREQ = 25k 105 kHz
RFREQ = 60k 335 400 465 kHz
Lowest Fixed Frequency VFREQ = 0V 320 350 380 kHz
Highest Fixed Frequency VFREQ = INTVCC 488 535 585 kHz
fSYNC Synchronizable Frequency PLLIN/MODE = External Clock l75 550 kHz
PLLIN/MODE Input High Level PLLIN/MODE = External Clock l2.5 V
PLLIN/MODE Input Low Level PLLIN/MODE = External Clock l0.5 V
LTC3897-2
5
Rev. A
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ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS
The l denotes the specifications which apply over the specified operating
junction temperature range, otherwise specifications are at TA = 25°C (Note 2). VIN = 12V, VBIAS = 12V, unless otherwise noted.
SYMBOL PARAMETER CONDITIONS MIN TYP MAX UNITS
BOOST1 and BOOST2 Charge Pump
BOOST Charge Pump Available Output
Current
FREQ = 0V, Forced Continuous or
Pulse-Skipping Mode
VSW1,2 = 12V; VBOOST1,2 = 16.5V
VSW1,2 = 12V; VBOOST1,2 = 19.5V
70
30
µA
µA
Surge Stopper
SGEN Pin ON Threshold VSGEN Rising l1.16 1.26 1.36 V
SGEN Pin Hysteresis 100 mV
SG Pin Output High Voltage (VSG – VCS) VIN = 4.2V, ISG = 0, –1µA, DG – CS = 1V l4.5 8 V
VIN = 8V to 70V, ISG = 0, −1µA l10 12 16 V
SG Pin Pull-Up Current VIN = SG = DG = CS = 12V l–5 –10 –15 µA
SG Pin Pull-Down Current Overvoltage: SPFB = 1.5V, SG – CS = 5V l50 130 mA
Overcurrent: ΔVIS = 100mV, SG – CS = 5V l50 130 mA
Shutdown: DGEN = SGEN = 0V, SG – CS = 5V l0.4 1 mA
CS Pin Input Current VIN = CS = 12V, IS+ = IS = 11.9V, SGEN = Float l2 6 µA
VIN = CS = 12V, SGEN = 0V l25 100 µA
VCS = –30V l–2.5 –3.5 mA
VSPFB Regulated Surge Protection Feedback Voltage l1.205 1.235 1.265 V
ΔVIS Overcurrent Fault Threshold, (VIS+ – VIS–) IS > 2.5V l45 50 55 mV
IS = 1.5V l21 27 33 mV
IS+ Pin Input Current IS+ = IS = VIN = CS = 12V, SGEN = DGEN = Float l35 100 µA
IS+ = IS = VIN = CS = 12V, SGEN = DGEN = 0V l1 15 µA
SPFB Pin Input Current SPFB = 1.235V l±20 ±500 nA
IS Pin Input Current IS+ = IS = VIN = CS = 12V, SGEN = DGEN = Float l20 100 µA
IS+ = IS = VIN = CS = 12V, SGEN = DGEN = 0V l5 15 µA
ITMR,UP TMR Pin Pull-Up Current, Overvoltage TMR = 1V, SPFB = 1.5V, VIN – VIS = 0.5V
TMR = 1V, SPFB = 1.5V, VIN – VIS = 70V
l
l
–1.5
–43
–2.5
–53
–3.7
–63
µA
µA
TMR Pin Pull-Up Current, Overcurrent TMR = 1V, ΔVIS = 60mV, VIN – VIS = 0.5V
TMR = 1V, ΔVIS = 60mV, VIN – VIS = 70V
l
l
–6
–210
–10
–250
–16
–290
µA
µA
TMR Pin Pull-Up Current, Warning TMR = 1.3V, SPFB = 1.5V, VIN – VIS = 0.5V l–3 –5 –8 µA
TMR Pin Pull-Up Current, Retry TMR = 1V, SPFB = 1.5V l–1.5 –2.5 –3.7 µA
ITMR,DN TMR Pin Pull-Down Current TMR = 1V, SPFB = 1.5V, Retry
SGEN = 0V
l
l
1.2
0.4
2
0.75
2.8
1.5
µA
mA
Retry Duty Cycle, Overcurrent ΔVIS = 60mV, VIN – VIS = 12V l0.06 0.08 0.12 %
TMR Pin Thresholds SG Falling, VIN = 4.2V to 70V
SG Rising (after 32 cycles), VIN = 4.2V to 70V
l
l
1.31
0.13
1.35
0.15
1.38
0.18
V
V
Ideal Diode
DGEN Pin ON Threshold VDGEN Rising l1.16 1.26 1.36 V
DGEN Pin Hysteresis 100 mV
DG Pin Output High Voltage, (VDG − VCS) VIN = 4.2V, IDG = 0, −1µA, No Fault, SG Open l4.5 V
8V < VIN < 70V, IDG = 0, −1µA, No Fault, SG
Open
l10 12 16 V
DG Pin Pull-Up Current DG = CS = VIN = 12V, CS – IS+ = 0.1V l–5 –10 –15 µA
LTC3897-2
6
Rev. A
For more information www.analog.com
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS
The l denotes the specifications which apply over the specified operating
junction temperature range, otherwise specifications are at TA = 25°C (Note 2). VIN = 12V, VBIAS = 12V, unless otherwise noted.
SYMBOL PARAMETER CONDITIONS MIN TYP MAX UNITS
DG Pin Pull-Down Current DG = CS + 5V, CS – IS+ = –0.2V l60 130 mA
DG = CS + 5V, SGEN = DGEN = 0V l0.4 1 mA
ΔVSD Source-Drain Regulation Voltage, (VCS
− VIS+)
DG – CS = 2.5V, VIN = CS = 4.2V to 70V l20 30 40 mV
DG Turn Off Propagation Delay in Fault
Condition
CS – IS+ = –1V, DG High to Low l0.6 2 µS
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 LTC3897-2 is tested under pulsed load conditions such
that TJ≈TA. The LTC3897E-2 is guaranteed to meet specifications
from 0°C to 85°C junction temperature. Specifications over the –40°C
to 125°C operating junction temperature range are assured by design,
characterization and correlation with statistical process controls. The
LTC3897I-2 is guaranteed over the –40°C to 125°C operating junction
temperature range. The LTC3897H-2 is guaranteed over the –40°C to
150°C operating temperature range. High junction temperatures degrade
operation lifetime. Operation lifetime is derated for junction temperatures
greater than 125°C. Note that the maximum ambient temperature
consistent with these specifications is determined by specific operating
conditions in conjunction with board layout, the rated package thermal
impedance and other environmental factors. The junction temperature
(TJ,in°C) is calculated from the ambient temperature (TA, in °C) and
power dissipation (PD, in watts) according to the formula:
TJ = TA + (PDθJA), where θJA = 36°C/W for the QFN package.
Note 3: This IC includes overtemperature protection that is intended to
protect the device during momentary overload conditions. The maximum
rated junction temperature will be exceeded when this protection is active.
Continuous operation above the specified absolute maximum operating
junction temperature may impair device reliability or permanently damage
the device.
Note 4: The LTC3897-2 is tested in a feedback loop that servos VFB to the
output of the error amplifier while maintaining ITH at the midpoint of the
current limit range.
Note 5: Dynamic supply current is higher due to the gate charge being
delivered at the switching frequency.
Note 6: Rise and fall times are measured using 10% and 90% levels.
Delay times are measured using 50% levels.
Note 7: See Minimum On-Time Considerations in the Applications
Information section.
Note 8: Internal clamps limit the SG and DG pins to minimum of 10V
above the CS pin. Driving these pins to voltages beyond the clamp may
damage the device.
Note 9: Do not apply a voltage or current source to these pins. They must
be connected to capacitive loads only, otherwise permanent damage may
occur.
TYPICAL PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS
Efficiency and Power Loss
vs Output Current
Efficiency and Power Loss
vs Output Current
EFFICIENCY
BURST EFFICIENCY
PULSE–SKIPPING
FCM EFFICIENCY
BURST LOSS
FCM LOSS
LOSS
PULSE–SKIPPING
VIN = 12V
VOUT = 24V
FIGURE 17 CIRCUIT
OUTPUT CURRENT (A)
0.001
0.01
0.1
1
10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
1
10
100
1k
10k
100k
EFFICIENCY (%)
POWER LOSS (mW)
38972 G01
BURST EFFICIENCY
BURST LOSS
OUTPUT CURRENT (A)
0.001
0.01
0.1
1
10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
1
10
100
1k
10k
100k
EFFICIENCY (%)
POWER LOSS (mW)
38972 G02
VIN = 12V
VOUT = 24V
Burst Mode OPERATION
FIGURE 17 CIRCUIT
TA = 25°C unless otherwise noted.
LTC3897-2
7
Rev. A
For more information www.analog.com
Load Step
Burst Mode Operation
Load Step
Forced Continuous Mode
Load Step
Pulse-Skipping Mode
Efficiency vs Input Current
INPUT VOLTAGE (V)
0
5
10
15
20
25
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
EFFICIENCY (%)
38972 G03
IOUT = 2A
VOUT = 24V
FIGURE 17 CIRCUIT
VOUT
500mV/DIV
INDUCTOR
CURRENT
5A/DIV
LOAD STEP
5A/DIV
VIN = 12V
VOUT = 24V
LOAD STEP FROM 100mA TO 5A
FIGURE 17 CIRCUIT
200µs/DIV 38972 G04
VOUT
500mV/DIV
INDUCTOR
CURRENT
5A/DIV
LOAD STEP
5A/DIV
VIN = 12V
VOUT = 24V
LOAD STEP FROM 100mA TO 5A
FIGURE 17 CIRCUIT
200µs/DIV 38972 G05
VOUT
500mV/DIV
INDUCTOR
CURRENT
5A/DIV
LOAD STEP
5A/DIV
VIN = 12V
VOUT = 24V
LOAD STEP FROM 100mA TO 5A
FIGURE 17 CIRCUIT
200µs/DIV 38972 G06
TYPICAL PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS
TA = 25°C unless otherwise noted.
Inductor Currents at Light Load Start-Up
PULSE-
SKIPPING
MODE
Burst Mode
OPERATION
5A/DIV
FORCED
CONTINUOUS
MODE
VIN = 12V
VOUT = 24V
ILOAD = 200µA
FIGURE 17 CIRCUIT
5µs/DIV 38972 G07
0V
VOUT
10V/DIV
VIN = 12V
VOUT = 48V
FIGURE 16 CIRCUIT
10ms/DIV 38972 G08
VOUT
SG
VIN
CS
LTC3897-2
8
Rev. A
For more information www.analog.com
TYPICAL PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS
Input Supply Current vs
Temperature
DRVCC Line Regulation
BOOST Shutdown (RUN)
Threshold vs Temperature
Undervoltage Lockout Threshold
vs Temperature
DRVCC and EXTVCC
vs Load Current
RUN FALLING
RUN RISING
INPUT VOLTAGE (V)
–75
–50
–25
0
25
50
75
100
125
150
1.10
1.15
1.20
1.25
1.30
1.35
1.40
RUN PIN VOLTAGE (V)
38972 G14
DRV
CC
RISING
DRV
CC
FALLING
DRV
CC
RISING
DRV
CC
FALLING
DRVSET = INTV
CC
DRVSET = GND
TEMPERATURE (°C)
–75
–50
–25
0
25
50
75
100
125
150
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
DRV
CC
VOLTAGE (V)
38972 G15
EXTV
CC
= 0V
EXTV
CC
= 8.5V
EXTV
CC
= 5V
V
DRVSET = GND
BIAS
= 12V
LOAD CURRENT (mA)
0
25
50
75
100
125
150
4.0
4.2
4.4
4.6
4.8
5.0
5.2
5.4
5.6
5.8
6.0
6.2
6.4
DRV
CC
VOLTAGE (V)
38972 G17
QUIESCENT CURRENT
VFB = 1.25V
SGEN = DGEN = 0V
RUN = 0V
SGEN = DGEN = 12V
IS
+
= IS
= CS – 0.1V
TEMPRATURE (°C)
–75
–50
–25
0
25
50
75
100
125
150
0
50.0
100.0
150.0
200.0
250.0
300.0
350.0
400.0
INPUT SUPPLY CURRENT (µA)
38972 G13
DRVSET = INTV
CC
DRVSET = GND
INPUT VOLTAGE (V)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
DRV
CC
VOLTAGE (V)
38972 G16
TA = 25°C unless otherwise noted.
Shutdown Current vs Temperature
Soft-Start Pull-Up Current
vs Temperature
Shutdown Current
vs Input Voltage
TEMPERATURE (°C)
–75
–50
–25
0
25
50
75
100
125
150
9.0
9.5
10.0
10.5
11.0
SOFT-START CURRENT (µA)
38972 G10
TEMPERATURE (°C)
–75
–50
–25
0
25
50
75
100
125
150
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
SHUTDOWN CURRENT (µA)
38972 G11
V
IN
= V
BIAS
INPUT VOLTAGE (V)
0
12.5
25
37.5
50
62.5
75
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
SOFT-START CURRENT (µA)
38972 G12
Regulated Feedback Voltage
vs Temperature
TEMPERATURE (°C)
–75
–50
–25
0
25
50
75
100
125
150
1.188
1.191
1.194
1.197
1.200
1.203
1.206
1.209
1.212
REGULATED FEFEDBACK VOLTAGE (V)
38972 G09
LTC3897-2
9
Rev. A
For more information www.analog.com
EXTVCC Switchover and DRVCC
Voltages vs Temperature
DRV
CC
EXTV
CC
RISING
DRVSET = GND
DRV
CC
EXTV
CC
FALLING
EXTV
CC
RISING
EXTV
CC
FALLING
DRVSET = INTV
CC
TEMPERATURE (°C)
–75
–50
–25
0
25
50
75
100
125
150
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
DRV
CC
VOLTAGE (V)
38972 G18
Oscillator Frequency
vs Temperature
FREQ = INTV
CC
FREQ = GND
TEMPERATURE (°C)
–75
–50
–25
0
25
50
75
100
125
150
300
350
400
450
500
550
600
FREQUENCY (kHz)
38972 G19
TYPICAL PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS
TA = 25°C unless otherwise noted.
BOOST-SW Charge Pump Charging
Current vs Operating Frequency
BOOST-SW Charge Pump Charging
Current vs Switch Voltage
VSW = 12V
VBOOST – VSW = 7.5V
OPERATING FREQUENCY (kHz)
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
0
10
20
30
40
50
CHARGE PUMP CHARGING CURRENT (µA)
38972 G25
T = 155°C
T = 25°C
T = –55°C
V
BOOST
– V
SW
= 7.5V
FREQ = INTV
CC
FREQ = GND
SWITCH VOLTAGE (V)
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
0
10
20
30
40
50
CHARGE PUMP CHARGING CURRENT (µA)
38972 G26
SENSE Pin Input Current
vs Temperature
Maximum Current Sense
Threshold vs ITH Voltage
SENSE Pin Input Current
vs VSENSE Voltage
SENSE Pin Input Current
vs ITH Voltage
Oscillator Frequency
vs Input Voltage
FREQ = INTV
CC
FREQ = GND
INPUT VOLTAGE (V)
5
15
25
35
45
55
65
75
300
350
400
450
500
550
600
38972 G20
FREQUENCY (kHz)
PULSE–SKIPPING MODE
FORCED CONTINUOUS MODE
OPERATION
BURST MODE
I
LIM
= INTV
CC
I
LIM
= FLOAT
I
LIM
= GND
I
TH
VOLTAGE (V)
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
1.4
–60
–30
0
30
60
90
120
150
MAXIMUM CURRENT SENSE VOLTAGE (mV)
38972 G21
SENSE
+
PIN
SENSE
PIN
I
LIM
= FLOAT
V
SENSE
= 12V
TEMPERATURE (°C)
–75
–50
–25
0
25
50
75
100
125
150
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
220
240
260
280
SENSE CURRENT (µA)
38972 G22
SENSE
+
PIN
SENSE
PIN
I
LIM
= FLOAT
V
SENSE
= 12V
I
LIM
= INTV
CC
I
LIM
= GND
ILIM = INTVCC
ILIM = FLOAT
ILIM = GND
I
TH
VOLTAGE (V)
0
0.20
0.40
0.60
0.80
1
1.20
1.40
1.60
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
220
240
260
280
300
320
SENSE CURRENT (µA)
38972 G23
SENSE
+
PIN
SENSE
PIN
I
LIM
= FLOAT
I
LIM
= INTV
CC
I
LIM
= GND
V
SENSE
COMMON MODE VOLTAGE (V)
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
220
240
260
280
300
320
SENSE CURRENT (µA)
38972 G24
ILIM = INTVCC
ILIM = FLOAT
ILIM = GND
LTC3897-2
10
Rev. A
For more information www.analog.com
SG(DG) Charging Current
vs VIN Voltage
Overcurrent Threshold vs
IS Voltage
SG(DG) GATE Voltage vs GATE
Pull-Down Current
SG(DG) GATE Voltage vs VIN
Voltage
TMR Current vs VIN – IS Voltage TMR Current vs Temperature
TMR = 1V
OVERCURRENT CONDITION
OVERVOLTAGE CONDITION
VIN – IS VOLTAGE (V)
0
15
30
45
60
75
0
–25
–50
–75
–100
–125
–150
–175
–200
–225
–250
TMR CURRENT (µA)
38972 G28
DG PULL–DOWN CURRENT
VSG – VCS = 200mV
SG PULL–DOWN CURRENT
VIS+ – VIS– = 100mV OR VSPFB = 1.5V
TEMPERATURE (°C)
–75
–50
–25
0
25
50
75
100
125
150
50
65
80
95
110
125
140
155
170
185
200
GATE PULL-DOWN CURRENT (mA)
38972 G29
VSG – VCS = VDG – VCS = 5V
VIN = 12V
IS VOLTAGE (V)
0
0.50
1
1.50
2
2.50
3
3.50
4
4.50
5
10
20
30
40
50
60
OVERCURRENT THREADSHOLD (mV)
38972 G30
VIN VOLTAGE (V)
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
SG(DG) CHARGING CURRENT (mV)
38972 G31
VSG = VDG = VCS = VIN
GATE PULLDOWN CURRENT (µA)
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
SG(DG) GATE VOLTAGE (v)
38972 G32
VSG(DG) – VCS
VSG(DG) – VCS
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
SG(DG) GATE VOLTAGE (v)
38972 G33
VIN VOLTAGE (V)
Ideal Diode Regulation Voltage
vs VIN
T = 155°C
T = –55°C
T = 25°C
V
IN
(V)
0
15
30
45
60
75
28
29
30
31
32
IDEAL DIODE REGULATION VOLTAGE (mV)
38972 G27
LTC3897-2
11
Rev. A
For more information www.analog.com
PIN FUNCTIONS
DGEN (Pin 1): Ideal Diode Enable Pin. This pin enables
regulation for the ideal diodes forward drop. Tying this
pin to SGND disables the regulation but still keeps the
reverse input voltage protection.
PLLIN/MODE (Pin 2): External Synchronization Input to
Phase Detector and Forced Continuous Mode Input. When
an external clock is applied to this pin, it will force the
controller into pulse-skipping mode of operation and the
phase-locked loop will force the rising BG1 signal to be
synchronized with the rising edge of the external clock.
When not synchronizing to an external clock, this input
determines how the LTC3897-2 operates at light loads.
Pulling this pin to ground selects Burst Mode operation.
An internal 100k resistor to ground also invokes Burst
Mode
®
operation when the pin is floated. Tying this pin
to INTVCC forces continuous inductor current operation.
Tying this pin to a voltage greater than 1.2V and less than
INTVCC1.3V selects pulse-skipping operation. This can
be done by adding a 100k resistor between the PLLIN/
MODE pin and INTVCC.
FREQ (Pin 3): The frequency control pin for the internal
VCO. Connecting the pin to GND forces the VCO to a fixed
low frequency of 350kHz. Connecting the pin to INTVCC
forces the VCO to a fixed high frequency of 535kHz. The
frequency can be programmed by connecting a resistor
from the FREQ pin to GND. The resistor and an internal
20µA source current create a voltage used by the internal
oscillator to set the frequency. Alternatively, this pin can
be driven with a DC voltage to vary the frequency of the
internal oscillator.
PHASMD (Pin 4): This pin can be floated, tied to GND, or
tied to INTVCC to program the phase relationship between
the rising edges of BG1 and BG2, as well as the phase
relationship between BG1 and CLKOUT.
ILIM (Pin 5): Current Comparator Sense Voltage Range
Input. This pin is used to set the peak current sense volt-
age in the current comparator. Connect this pin to GND,
open, and INTVCC to set the peak current sense voltage
to 48mV, 95mV and 140mV, respectively.
SENSE1+, SENSE2+ (Pins 6, 15): Positive Current Sense
Comparator Input for each channel of the boost controller.
The (+) input to the Current Comparator is normally con-
nected to the positive terminal of a current sense resistor.
This pin also supplies power to the current comparator.
SENSE1, SENSE2 (Pins 7,14): Negative Current Sense
Comparator Input for each channel of the boost controller.
The () input to the Current Comparator is normally
connected to the negative terminal of a current sense
resistor connected in series with the inductor.
DTC (Pin 8): Dead Time Control. This pin selects different
dead times between TG and BG. Floating this pin sets the
dead time to 100nS. Tying this pin to GND or INTVCC sets
the dead time to 60nS or 200nS, respectively.
DRVUV (Pin 9): Sets the higher or lower DRVCC UVLO and
EXTVCC switchover thresholds, as listed on the Electrical
Characteristics table. Tying this pin to GND sets the lower
thresholds whereas tying this pin to INTVCC sets the higher
thresholds. See the Electrical Characteristics table for the
rising/falling threshold values and tolerances.
DRVSET (Pin 10): Sets the regulated output voltage of the
DRVCC LDO regulator. Tying this pin to GND sets DRVCC to
6.0V. Tying this pin to INTVCC sets DRVCC to 10.0V. Other
voltages between 5.0V and 10.0V can be programmed by
using a resistor (50k to 100k) between the DRVSET pin
and GND. When programming DRVSET with a resistor, do
not choose a resistor value less than 50k (unless shorting
DRVSET to GND) or higher than 100k.
INTVCC (Pin 11): Output of the Internal 3.5V Low Dropout
Regulator. Supply pin for the low voltage analog and digi-
tal circuits. A low ESR 0.1µF ceramic bypass capacitor
should be connected between INTVCC and GND, as close
as possible to the IC. INTVCC should not be used to power
or bias any external circuitry other than to configure the
FREQ, PHASMD, ILIM, DTC, DRVUV, DRVSET and PLLIN/
MODE pins.
LTC3897-2
12
Rev. A
For more information www.analog.com
PIN FUNCTIONS
RUN (Pin 12): Run Control Input for the boost controller.
Forcing this pin below 1.28V shuts down the controller.
Forcing this pin as well as the SGEN and DGEN pins
below 0.7V shuts down the entire LTC3897-2, reducing
quiescent current to approximately 15µA. An external
resistor divider connected to VBIAS can set the threshold
for converter operation.
ITH (Pin 13): Error Amplifier Outputs and Switching
Regulator Compensation Point. The current comparator
trip point increases with this control voltage.
VFB (Pin 16): This pin receives the remotely sensed feed-
back voltage from the external resistive divider across the
boost controller output.
SS (Pin 17): Output Soft-Start Input. A capacitor to ground
at this pin sets the ramp rate of the output voltage during
startup.
CLKOUT (Pin 18): A digital output used for daisy-chaining
multiple LTC3897-2 ICs in multi-phase systems. The
PHASMD pin voltage controls the relationship between
BG1 and CLKOUT. This pin swings between GND and
INTVCC.
TG2, TG1 (Pins 20, 32): Top Gate. Connect to the gate of
the synchronous N-channel MOSFET.
SW2, SW1 (Pins 21, 31): Switch Node. Connect to the
source of the synchronous N-channel MOSFET (TG), the
drain of the main N-channel MOSFET (BG), and the inductor.
BOOST2, BOOST1 (Pins 22, 30): Floating power supply
for the synchronous N-channel MOSFET. Bypass to SW
pin with a capacitor.
BG2, BG1 (Pins 24, 28): Bottom Gate. Connect to the gate
of the main N-channel MOSFET.
DRVCC (Pin 25): Output of the Internal Low Dropout (LDO)
Regulator that powers the boost controller gate drivers.
The regulated DRV
CC
voltage is set by the DRVSET pin.
Must be decoupled to ground with a minimum of 4.7µF
ceramic or other low ESR capacitor. Do not use the DRVCC
pin for any other purpose.
EXTVCC (Pin 26): External Power Input to an Internal LDO
Connected to DRV
CC
. This LDO supplies DRV
CC
power from
EXTVCC, bypassing the internal LDO powered from VBIAS
whenever EXTVCC is higher than its switchover threshold
(4.7V or 7.7V depending on the state of the DRVUV pin).
See EXTV
CC
Connection in the Applications Information
section. Do not float or exceed 14V on this pin. Do not
connect EXTVCC to a voltage greater than VBIAS. Connect
to GND if not used.
VBIAS (Pin 27): Bias Supply Pin. This pin powers most of
the chip. When the ideal diode is used at the input to block
negative input voltage, connect a Schottky diode from the
VIN pin to the VBIAS pin. A bypass capacitor should be tied
between this pin and the signal ground pin.
VIN (Pin 34): Input Supply Pin. A bypass capacitor should
be tied between this pin and the GND pins. The supply
input ranges from 4.2V to 75V for normal operation. It can
also be pulled below ground potential by up to 40V during
a reverse battery condition, without damaging the part.
SG (Pin 36): N-Channel MOSFET Gate Drive Output for
Surge Stopper Controller. The SG pin is pulled up by an
internal charge pump current source and clamped to 12V
above the CS pin. An external capacitor connected to this
pin can provide slew rate and inrush current control. A
voltage and current amplifier controls the SG pin to regulate
the SPFB pin voltage. When the overcurrent comparator
monitoring the IS+ and IS pins is tripped, the SG pin is
pulled low, forming an electronic current breaker.
CS (Pin 37): Common Source Input and Gate Drive Return.
Connect this pin directly to the sources of the external back-
to-back N-Channel MOSFETs and the resistance should be
limited to below 10Ω. CS is the anode of the ideal diode
and the voltage sensed between this pin and the IS+ pin
is used to control the source-drain voltage across the
N-Channel MOSFET (forward voltage of the ideal diode).
LTC3897-2
13
Rev. A
For more information www.analog.com
DG (Pin 38): N-Channel Gate Drive Output for Ideal Diode
Controller. When the load current creates more than 30mV
of voltage drop across the MOSFET, the DG pin is pulled
high by an internal charge pump current source and
clamped to 12V above the CS pin. When the load current
is small, the DG pin is actively driven to maintain 30mV
across the MOSFET. If reverse current develops, a 100mA
fast pull-down circuit quickly connects the DG pin to the
CS pin, turning off the MOSFET.
IS+ (Pin 39): Positive Overcurrent Sense Input. Connect
this pin to the input of the overcurrent sense resistor. The
current limit circuit pulls the SG pin low if the sense voltage
between the IS+ and IS pins exceed 50mV if IS is above
2.5V. When IS
drops below 1.5V, the sense voltage is
reduced to 27mV for additional protection during output
overcurrent condition. The voltage difference with the
IS pin must be limited to less than 30V. Connect to the
IS pin if unused.
IS (Pin 40): Negative Overcurrent Sense Input. Connect
this pin to the output of the overcurrent sense resistor.
SPFB (Pin 42): Surge Protection Voltage Regulator
Feedback Input. Connect this pin to the center tap of the
resistive divider connected between the voltage being
protected and ground. During an overvoltage condition,
the SG pin is servoed to maintain a 1.235V threshold at
the SPFB pin. Connect to GND to disable the overvolt-
age clamp.
TMR (Pin 43): Fault Timer Input for the Surge Stopper.
Connect a capacitor between this pin and ground to set
the times for fault and cool down periods. When either
overvoltage or overcurrent is detected, a current source
charges up the TMR pin. The current charging up this
pin during the fault conditions depends on the voltage
difference between VIN and IS pins. When VTMR reaches
1.35V, the pass transistor turns off. As soon as the fault
condition disappears, a cool down interval commences
while the TMR pin cycles 32 times between 0.15V and
1.35V with 2.5µA charge and 2µA discharge currents. At
the end of the cool down period, the SG pin is allowed to
pull high turning the pass transistor back on.
SGEN (Pin 44): Surge Gate Enable Pin. This pin enables
the surge stopper controller (voltage clamp and output
protection). When SGEN is low, SG is pulled to CS.
GND (Exposed Pad Pin 45): Ground. The exposed pad
must be soldered to the PCB for rated electrical and ther-
mal performance.
PIN FUNCTIONS
Table1. Summary of the Main Differences Between the LTC3897 and the LTC3897-2
LTC3897-2 LTC3897
Light Load Mode when
Synchronized to an External Clock
Pulse Skipping Mode
(Discontinuous)
Forced Continuous Mode
Output Overvoltage Protection
when VFB >110% of Regulation
No TG Crowbar TG Crowbar
(TG Forced On)
Programmable Frequency 50kHz to 550kHz 50kHz to 900kHz
Package 5×8 QFN-44(38) 5×7 QFN-38
TSSOP-38
LTC3897-2
14
Rev. A
For more information www.analog.com
BLOCK DIAGRAM
SLEEP
SWITCHING
LOGIC
AND
CHARGE
PUMP
4.7V/7.7V
4.7V/7.7V
VBIAS
VBIAS
CIN
DRVCC
PLLIN/
MODE
RUN
+
+
+
+
+
EXTVCC
LDO
VCO
PFD
SW
0.425V
SENS LO
BOOST
TG CB
COUT
VOUT
CLKOUT
PGND
BG
DRVCC
VFB
S
RQ
EA SS
1.2V
RSENSE
10µA
SHDN
1.2V
2V
2V
+
RC
SS
SENS
LO
SHDN
ITH CC
CC2
0.7V
1.6V
SLOPE COMP
2mV
+
+
SENSE
SENSE+
SHDN
CLK2
CLK1
INTVCC
DRVCC
DRVUV
FREQ
DUPLICATE FOR SECOND CONTROLLER CHANNEL
+
+
L
GND
EN
LDO
EN
20µA
100k
SYNC
DET
ILIM
PHASMD
CURRENT
LIMIT
ICMP IREV
DTC
DRVSET 20µA
0.5µA
INTVCC
LDO
INTVCC
38972 BD
10µA
10µA
0.5µA
+
IS+
SPFB
VIN
IS
1.235V
+
50mV
+
+
+
30mV
+
30mV
+
CONTROL
LOGIC
CHARGE
PUMP
+
+
2µA
2.5µA
1.35V 0.15V
12V 12V
COUNTER
32×
SURGE PROTECTOR AND IDEAL DIODE CONTROLLERS
BOOST CONTROLLER
TMRDGENDGCSSGSGEN
SG OFF DG OFF
0.5µA
VA IA
LTC3897-2
15
Rev. A
For more information www.analog.com
OPERATION
Overview
The LTC3897-2 includes a polyphase step-up (boost) con-
troller as well as surge stopper and ideal diode controllers
to enable input/output protections for the boost controller.
All three controllers can be individually enabled or disabled
for building different boost converter applications that
have a variety of combinations of the protection circuits.
The surge stopper controls the gate of an external N-channel
MOSFET to protect against high voltage input transients
and provide in-rush current control and output disconnect
for the boost converter. The current limited circuit breaker
protects against short-circuited boost outputs and other
overcurrent events.
The integrated ideal diode controller drives another
N-channel MOSFET to replace a Schottky diode for reverse
(negative) input protection and voltage holdup or peak
detection. It controls the forward voltage drop across the
MOSFET and minimizes reverse current transients during
power source failure, brownout or input short.
BOOST Controller Main Control Loop
The LTC3897-2s boost controller uses a constant-fre-
quency, current mode step-up architecture with the two
controller channels operating out of phase. During normal
operation, each external bottom MOSFET is turned on
when the clock for that channel sets the RS latch, and is
turned off when the main current comparator, ICMP, resets
the RS latch. The peak inductor current at which ICMP
trips and resets the latch is controlled by the voltage on
the ITH pin, which is the output of the error amplifier EA.
The error amplifier compares the output voltage feedback
signal at the VFB pin (which is generated with an external
resistor divider connected across the output voltage,
V
OUT
, to ground), to the internal 1.200V reference volt-
age. In a boost converter, the required inductor current is
determined by the load current, VIN and VOUT. When the
load current increases, it causes a slight decrease in VFB
relative to the reference, which causes the EA to increase
the ITH voltage until the average inductor current in each
channel matches the new requirement based on the new
load current.
After the bottom MOSFET is turned off each cycle, the
top MOSFET is turned on until either the inductor current
starts to reverse, as indicated by the current comparator,
IR, or the beginning of the next clock cycle.
DRVCC/EXTVCC/INTVCC Power
Power for the top and bottom MOSFET drivers is derived
from the DRVCC pin. The DRVCC supply voltage can be
programmed from 5V to 10V through control of the
DRVSET pin. When the EXTVCC pin is tied to a voltage
below its switchover voltage (4.7V or 7.7V depending on
the DRVSET voltage), the VBIAS LDO (low dropout linear
regulator) supplies the DRV
CC
voltage set by DRVSET from
VBIAS to DRVCC. If EXTVCC is taken above the switchover
voltage, the VBIAS LDO is turned off and an EXTVCC LDO
is turned on. Once enabled, the EXTV
CC
LDO supplies
the voltage from EXTVCC to DRVCC. Using the EXTVCC
pin allows the DRV
CC
power to be derived from a high
efficiency external source, thus removing the power dis-
sipation of the VBIAS LDO.
Each top MOSFET driver is biased from the floating boot-
strap capacitor, CB, which normally recharges during each
cycle through an internal switch whenever SW goes low.
The INTVCC supply powers most of the other internal
circuits in the LTC3897-2’s boost controller. The INTVCC
LDO regulates to a fixed value of 3.5V and its power is
derived from the DRVCC supply.
Shutdown and Start-Up (RUN, SGEN, DGEN and SS
Pins)
The LTC3897-2's boost controller, surge stopper, and ideal
diode can be shut down independently using the enable
pins, i.e. the RUN pin, the SGEN pin and the DGEN pin.
Pulling the RUN pin below 1.28V shuts down the main
control loops for both phases of the boost controller.
Pulling the RUN pin below 0.7V disables both phases and
most internal circuits. If SGEN and DGEN are both low,
pulling the RUN pin below 0.7V also disables the DRVCC
and INTVCC LDOs. In this state, the LTC3897-2 draws only
15µA of quiescent current.
LTC3897-2
16
Rev. A
For more information www.analog.com
OPERATION
NOTE: When the input/output protections are not used,
do not apply a heavy load for an extended time while the
chip is in shutdown. The top MOSFETs will be turned off
during shutdown and the output load may cause excessive
dissipation in the body diodes.
Releasing any of the enable pins (RUN, SGEN or DGEN)
allows a small internal current to pull up the pin to enable
the corresponding circuits. The enable pins may be exter-
nally pulled up or driven directly by logic. Each of the
enable pins can tolerate up to 75V (absolute maximum),
so it can be conveniently tied to the supplies in always-on
applications where the controllers or the protections are
enabled continuously and never shutdown. Note that the
SGEN pin can also tolerate negative voltage up to –40V,
so it can be tied to the VIN supply directly.
When the input/output protections are enabled, the boost
controller is not enabled until IS pin is above (VIN–0.7V).
This is to ensure that the external MOSFETs for the input/
output protections are fully turned on before the BOOST
controller can start operating.
The start-up of the boost controllers output voltage V
OUT
is
controlled by the voltage on the SS pin. When the voltage
on the SS pin is less than the 1.2V internal reference, the
LTC3897-2 regulates the VFB voltage to the SS pin voltage
instead of the 1.2V reference. This allows the SS pin to
be used to program a soft-start by connecting an external
capacitor from the SS pin to GND. An internal 10µA pull-
up current charges this capacitor creating a voltage ramp
on the SS pin. As the SS voltage rises linearly from 0V to
1.2V (and beyond up to INTVCC), the output voltage rises
smoothly to its final value.
Light Load Current Operation—Burst Mode Operation,
Pulse-Skipping or Continuous Conduction (PLLIN/
MODE Pin)
The LTC3897-2’s boost controller can be enabled to enter
high efficiency Burst Mode operation, constant-frequency,
pulse-skipping mode or forced continuous conduction
mode at low load currents. To select Burst Mode opera-
tion, tie the PLLIN/MODE pin to ground (e.g., GND). To
select forced continuous operation, tie the PLLIN/MODE
pin to INTVCC. To select pulse-skipping mode, tie the
PLLIN/MODE pin to a DC voltage greater than 1.2V and
less than INTVCC – 1.3V.
When the controller is enabled for Burst Mode operation,
the minimum peak current in the inductor is set to
approximately 30% of the maximum sense voltage even
though the voltage on the ITH pin indicates a lower value.
If the average inductor current is higher than the required
current, the error amplifier EA will decrease the voltage
on the ITH pin. When the ITH voltage drops below 0.425V,
the internal sleep signal goes high (enabling sleep mode)
and both external MOSFETs are turned off.
In sleep mode, much of the internal circuitry is turned off
and the LTC3897-2 boost controller draws only 55µA of
quiescent current when the input/output protections are
not used. In sleep mode the load current is supplied by
the output capacitor. As the output voltage decreases,
the EAs output begins to rise. When the output voltage
drops enough, the sleep signal goes low and the controller
resumes normal operation by turning on the bottom external
MOSFET on the next cycle of the internal oscillator.
When the controller is enabled for Burst Mode operation,
the inductor current is not allowed to reverse. The
reverse current comparator (IR) turns off the top external
MOSFET just before the inductor current reaches zero,
preventing it from reversing and going negative. Thus,
the controller operates in discontinuous current operation.
In forced continuous operation, the inductor current is
allowed to reverse at light loads or under large transient
conditions. The peak inductor current is determined by
the voltage on the ITH pin, just as in normal operation. In
this mode, the efficiency at light loads is lower than in
Burst Mode operation. However, continuous operation
has the advantages of lower output voltage ripple and less
interference to audio circuitry, as it maintains constant-
frequency operation independent of load current.
When the PLLIN/MODE pin is connected for pulse-skipping
mode, or when it is driven by an external clock source to
use the phase-locked loop, the LTC3897-2 operates in
LTC3897-2
17
Rev. A
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OPERATION
PWM pulse-skipping mode at light loads. In this mode,
constant-frequency operation is maintained down to
approximately 1% of designed maximum output current. At
very light loads, the current comparator ICMP may remain
tripped for several cycles and force the external bottom
MOSFET to stay off for the same number of cycles (i.e.,
skipping pulses). The inductor current is not allowed to
reverse (discontinuous operation). This mode, like forced
continuous operation, exhibits low output ripple as well as
low audio noise and reduced RF interference as compared
to Burst Mode operation. It provides higher low current
efficiency than forced continuous mode, but not nearly as
high as Burst Mode operation.
Frequency Selection and Phase-Locked Loop (FREQ
and PLLIN/MODE Pins)
The selection of switching frequency is a trade-off between
efficiency and component size. Low frequency operation
increases efficiency by reducing MOSFET switching
losses, but requires larger inductance and/or capacitance
to maintain low output ripple voltage.
The switching frequency of the LTC3897-2’s controllers
can be selected using the FREQ pin.
If the PLLIN/MODE pin is not being driven by an external
clock source, the FREQ pin can be tied to GND, tied to
INTVCC, or programmed through an external resistor. Tying
FREQ to GND selects 350kHz while tying FREQ to INTVCC
selects 535kHz. Placing a resistor between FREQ and GND
allows the frequency to be programmed between 50kHz
and 550kHz, as shown in Figure7.
A phase-locked loop (PLL) is available on the LTC3897-2
to synchronize the internal oscillator to an external clock
source that is connected to the PLLIN/MODE pin. The
LTC3897-2’s phase detector adjusts the voltage (through
an internal lowpass filter) of the VCO input to align the
turn-on of the first controllers external bottom MOSFET
to the rising edge of the synchronizing signal. Thus, the
turn-on of the second controllers external bottom MOSFET
is 180 or 240 degrees out-of-phase to the rising edge of
the external clock source.
The VCO input voltage is prebiased to the operating
frequency set by the FREQ pin before the external clock
is applied. If prebiased near the external clock frequency,
the PLL loop only needs to make slight changes to the
VCO input in order to synchronize the rising edge of the
external clocks to the rising edge of BG1. The ability to
prebias the loop filter allows the PLL to lock-in rapidly
without deviating far from the desired frequency.
The typical capture range of the LTC3897-2’s PLL is from
approximately 55kHz to 600kHz, and is guaranteed to lock
to an external clock source whose frequency is between
75kHz and 550kHz.
The typical input clock thresholds on the PLLIN/MODE
pin are 1.6V (rising) and 1.2V (falling). The recommended
maximum amplitude for low level and minimum amplitude
for high level of external clock are 0V and 2.5V, respectively.
PolyPhase Applications (CLKOUT and PHASMD Pins)
The LTC3897-2 features two pins, CLKOUT and PHASMD,
that allow other controller ICs to be daisy chained with the
LTC3897-2 in PolyPhase applications. The clock output
signal on the CLKOUT pin can be used to synchronize
additional power stages in a multiphase power supply
solution feeding a single, high current output or multiple
separate outputs. The PHASMD pin is used to adjust the
phase of the CLKOUT signal as well as the relative phases
between the two internal controllers, as summarized in
Table2. The phases are calculated relative to the zero
degrees phase being defined as the rising edge of the
bottom gate driver output of controller 1 (BG1). Depending
on the phase selection, a PolyPhase application with mul-
tiple LTC3897-2s can be configured for 2-, 3-, 4- , 6- and
12-phase operation.
Table2.
VPHASMD CONTROLLER 2 PHASE CLKOUT PHASE
GND 180° 60°
Floating 180° 90°
INTVCC 240° 120°
CLKOUT is disabled when the controller is in shutdown
or in sleep mode.
LTC3897-2
18
Rev. A
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OPERATION
Boost Controller Operation When VIN>Regulated VOUT
When the input voltage to the boost channel rises above
the regulated V
OUT
voltage, the boost controller can behave
differently depending on the mode, inductor current and
VIN voltage. In forced continuous mode, the loop works
to keep the top MOSFET on continuously once VIN rises
above VOUT. The internal charge pump delivers current to
the boost capacitor to maintain a sufficiently high TG volt-
age. The amount of current the charge pump can deliver
is characterized by two curves in the Typical Performance
Characteristics section.
In pulse-skipping mode, if VIN is greater than the regulated
V
OUT
voltage, TG turns on if the inductor current rises
above a certain threshold and turns off if the inductor
current falls below this threshold. This threshold current
is set to approximately 6%, 4% or 3% of the maximum
ILIM current when the ILIM pin is grounded, floating or tied
to INTVCC, respectively. If the controller is programmed
to Burst Mode operation under this same VIN condition,
then TG remains off regardless of the inductor current.
Operation at Low SENSE Pin Common Mode Voltage
The current comparator in the LTC3897-2 is powered
directly from the SENSE+ pin. This enables the common
mode voltage of the SENSE+ and SENSE pins to operate
at as low as 2.3V, which is below the UVLO threshold. The
figure on the first page shows a typical application in which
the controllers VBIAS is powered from VOUT while the VIN
supply can go as low as 2.3V. If the voltage on SENSE+
drops below 2.3V, the SS pin will be held low. When the
SENSE voltage returns to the normal operating range, the
SS pin will be released, initiating a new soft-start cycle.
BOOST Supply Refresh and Internal Charge Pump
Each top MOSFET driver is biased from the floating
bootstrap capacitor, C
B
, which normally recharges
during each cycle through an internal switch when the
bottom MOSFET turns on. There are two considerations
for keeping the BOOST supply at the required bias level.
During start-up, if the bottom MOSFET is not turned on
within 100µs after UVLO goes low, the bottom MOSFET
will be forced to turn on for ~400ns. This forced refresh
generates enough BOOST-SW voltage to allow the top
MOSFET ready to be fully enhanced instead of waiting for
the initial few cycles to charge up. There is also an internal
charge pump that keeps the required bias on BOOST. The
charge pump always operates in both forced continuous
mode and pulse-skipping mode. In Burst Mode operation,
the charge pump is turned off during sleep and enabled
when the chip wakes up. The internal charge pump can
normally supply a charging current of 30µA.
Surge Stopper and Ideal Diode Controllers
The LTC3897-2 includes input/output protections that are
designed to suppress high voltage surges and limit the
input voltage of the boost controller and ensure normal
operation in high availability power systems. The LTC3897-2
drives an N-channel MOSFET MSG at the SG pin to limit
the voltage and current to the boost controller during
supply transients or overcurrent events. The LTC3897-2
also drives a second N-channel MOSFET MDG at the DG
pin as an ideal diode to protect the boost controller from
damage during reverse polarity input conditions, and to
block reverse current flow in the event the input collapses.
The LTC3897-2 operates from a wide range of VIN supply
voltage, from 4.2V to 75V. With a clamp limiting the VIN
supply, the input voltage may be higher than 75V. The
input supply can also be pulled below ground potential
by up to 40V without damaging the LTC3897-2. The low
power supply requirement of 4.2V allows it to operate even
during cold cranking conditions in automotive applications.
Normally, the pass device M
SG
is fully on, supplying current
to the load with very little power loss. If the input voltage
surges too high, the voltage amplifier (VA) controls the
gate of M
SG
and regulates the voltage at the IS
pin to
a level that is set by an external resistive divider (SFPB
pin) from the IS pin to ground and the internal 1.235V
reference. The LTC3897-2 also detects an overcurrent
condition by monitoring the voltage across an external
sense resistor placed between the IS
+
and IS
pins. An
active current limit circuit (IA) controls the gate of MSG to
limit the sense voltage to 50mV if IS is above 2.5V. In the
case of a severe output overcurrent that brings IS below
1.5V, the sense voltage is reduced to 27mV to reduce the
stress on MSG.
LTC3897-2
19
Rev. A
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OPERATION
During an overvoltage or overcurrent event, a current source
starts charging up the capacitor connected at the TMR pin
to ground. The pull-up current source in overcurrent condi-
tion is 5 times of that in overvoltage to accelerate turn-off.
The pass device MSG stays on and the TMR pin is further
charged up until it reaches 1.35V, at which point the SG
pin pulls low and turns off MSG. The fault timer allows the
load to continue functioning during brief transient events
while protecting the MOSFET from being damaged by a
long period of input overvoltage, such as load dump in
vehicles. The fault timer period decreases with the voltage
across the MOSFET, to help keep the MOSFET within its
safe operating area (SOA). MSG turns back on after a cool
down timer cycle.
The source and drain of MOSFET MDG serve as the anode
and cathode of the ideal diode. The LTC3897-2 controls
the DG pin to maintain a 30mV forward voltage across the
drain and source terminals of MDG. It reduces the power
dissipation and increases the available supply voltage to
the load, as compared to using a discrete blocking diode.
If M
DG
is driven fully on and the load current results in
more than 30mV of forward voltage, the forward voltage
is equal to RDS(ON) • ILOAD.
In the event of an input short or a power supply failure,
reverse current temporarily flows through the MOSFET
M
DG
that is on. If the reverse voltage exceeds 30mV,
the LTC3897-2 pulls the DG pin low strongly and turns
off MDG, minimizing the disturbance at the output.
If the VIN pin drops below the GND pin voltage, the DG pin
is pulled to the CS pin voltage, keeping MDG off. When the
SG pin pulls low in any fault condition, the DG pin also
pulls low, so both pass devices are turned off.
If the IS
+
and IS
pins (and so the CS pin, through the
body diode of MDG) drops below GND, the SG pin is pulled
to the CS pin voltage, turning MSG off and shutting down
the forward current path.
LTC3897-2
20
Rev. A
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The Typical Application on the first page is a basic
LTC3897-2 application circuit. The boost controller of
the LTC3897-2 can be configured to use either inductor
DCR (DC resistance) sensing or a discrete sense resistor
(R
SENSE
) for current sensing. The choice between the
two current sensing schemes is largely a design trade-off
between cost, power consumption and accuracy. DCR
sensing is becoming popular because it does not require
current sensing resistors and is more power-efficient,
especially in high current applications. However, current
sensing resistors provide the most accurate current limits
for the controller. Other external component selection
is driven by the load requirement, and begins with the
selection of RSENSE (if RSENSE is used) and inductor value.
Next, the power MOSFETs are selected. Finally, input and
output capacitors are selected. Note that the two controller
channels of the LTC3897-2 should be designed with the
same components.
SENSE+ and SENSE Pins
The SENSE+ and SENSE pins are the inputs to the current
comparators. The common mode input voltage range of
the current comparators is 2.3V to 65V (abs max), allowing
the boost controller to operate from inputs over this full
range. The current sense resistor is normally placed at
the input of the boost controller in series with the induc-
tor. The SENSE
+
pin also provides power to the current
comparator. It draws ~250µA during normal operation.
There is a small base current of less than 1µA that flows
into the SENSE pin. The high impedance SENSE input
to the current comparators allows accurate DCR sensing
VIN
TO SENSE FILTER,
NEXT TO THE CONTROLLER
INDUCTOR OR RSENSE 38972 F01
Figure1. Sense Lines Placement with
Inductor or Sense Resistor
Filter components mutual to the sense lines should be
placed close to the LTC3897-2, and the sense lines should
run close together to a Kelvin connection underneath
the current sense element (shown in Figure1). Sensing
APPLICATIONS INFORMATION
current elsewhere can effectively add parasitic inductance
and capacitance to the current sense element, degrading
the information at the sense terminals and making the
programmed current limit unpredictable. If DCR sensing
is used (Figure2b), resistor R1 should be placed close to
the switching node, to prevent noise from coupling into
sensitive small-signal nodes.
SENSE+ and SENSE pins are rated at 65V abs max. If
input supply is expected to go above 65V, these pins
need to be protected using the surge protection voltage
regulator (SPFB pin).
TG
SW
BG
LTC3897-2
BOOST
SENSE+
SENSE
(OPTIONAL)
VBIAS VIN
VOUT
SGND
38972 F02a
(2a) Using a Resistor to Sense Current
TG
SW
BG
INDUCTOR
DCR
L
LTC3897-2
BOOST
SENSE+
SENSE
R2C1
R1
VBIAS VIN
VOUT
PLACE C1 NEAR SENSE PINS
SGND
38972 F02b
(R1||R2) • C1 = L
DCR RSENSE(EQ) = DCR • R2
R1 + R2
(2b) Using the Inductor DCR to Sense Current
Figure2. Two Different Methods of Sensing Current
LTC3897-2
21
Rev. A
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APPLICATIONS INFORMATION
Sense Resistor Current Sensing
A typical sensing circuit using a discrete resistor is shown
in Figure2a. R
SENSE
is chosen based on the required
output current.
The current comparator has a maximum threshold
VSENSE(MAX). When the ILIM pin is grounded, floating or
tied to INTV
CC
, the maximum threshold is set to 48mV,
95mV or 140mV, respectively. The current comparator
threshold sets the peak of the inductor current, yielding
a maximum average inductor current, IMAX, equal to the
peak value less half the peak-to-peak ripple current, ΔIL.
To calculate the sense resistor value, use the equation:
RSENSE =
V
SENSE(MAX)
IMAX +ΔIL
2
The actual value of IMAX for each channel depends on the
required output current IOUT(MAX) and can be calculated
using:
IMAX =IOUT(MAX)
2
VOUT
V
IN
When using the controller in low VIN and very high voltage
output applications, the maximum inductor current and
correspondingly the maximum output current level will
be reduced due to the internal compensation required to
meet stability criterion for boost regulators operating at
greater than 50% duty factor. A curve is provided in the
Typical Performance Characteristics section to estimate
this reduction in peak inductor current level depending
upon the operating duty factor.
Inductor DCR Sensing
For applications requiring the highest possible efficiency
at high load currents, the LTC3897-2 is capable of sensing
the voltage drop across the inductor DCR, as shown in
Figure2b. The DCR of the inductor can be less than 1mΩ
for high current inductors. In a high current application
requiring such an inductor, conduction loss through a
sense resistor could reduce the efficiency by a few percent
compared to DCR sensing.
If the external R1||R2 • C1 time constant is chosen to be
exactly equal to the L/DCR time constant, the voltage drop
across the external capacitor is equal to the drop across
the inductor DCR multiplied by R2/(R1 + R2). R2 scales the
voltage across the sense terminals for applications where
the DCR is greater than the target sense resistor value.
To properly dimension the external filter components, the
DCR of the inductor must be known. It can be measured
using a good RLC meter, but the DCR tolerance is not
always the same and varies with temperature. Consult
the manufacturers’ data sheets for detailed information.
Using the inductor ripple current value from the inductor
value calculation section, the target sense resistor value is:
RSENSE(EQUIV) =
V
SENSE(MAX)
IMAX +ΔIL
2
To ensure that the application will deliver full load current
over the full operating temperature range, choose the
minimum value for the maximum current sense threshold
(VSENSE(MAX)).
Next, determine the DCR of the inductor. Where provided,
use the manufacturers maximum value, usually given at
20°C. Increase this value to account for the temperature
coefficient of resistance, which is approximately 0.4%/°C.
A conservative value for the maximum inductor temperature
(TL(MAX)) is 100°C.
To scale the maximum inductor DCR to the desired sense
resistor value, use the divider ratio:
RD=
R
SENSE(EQUIV)
DCRMAX at TL(MAX)
C1 is usually selected to be in the range of 0.1µF to 0.47µF.
This forces R1|| R2 to around 2k, reducing error that might
have been caused by the SENSE pin’s ±1µA current.
The equivalent resistance R1|| R2 is scaled to the room
temperature inductance and maximum DCR:
R1||R2=
L
(DCR at 20°C)C1
LTC3897-2
22
Rev. A
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APPLICATIONS INFORMATION
The resistor values are:
R1=
R1||R2
R
D
; R2 =
R1R
D
1R
D
The maximum power loss in R1 is related to duty cycle,
and will occur in continuous mode at VIN = 1/2VOUT:
PLOSS_R1 =
(V
OUT
V
IN
) V
IN
R1
Ensure that R1 has a power rating higher than this value.
If high efficiency is necessary at light loads, consider this
power loss when deciding whether to use DCR sensing or
sense resistors. Light load power loss can be modestly
higher with a DCR network than with a sense resistor,
due to the extra switching losses incurred through R1.
However, DCR sensing eliminates a sense resistor, reduces
conduction losses and provides higher efficiency at heavy
loads. Peak efficiency is about the same with either method.
Inductor Value Calculation
The operating frequency and inductor selection are inter-
related in that higher operating frequencies allow the use of
smaller inductor and capacitor values. Why would anyone
ever choose to operate at lower frequencies with larger
components? The answer is efficiency. A higher frequency
generally results in lower efficiency because of MOSFET
gate charge and switching losses. Also, at higher frequency
the duty cycle of body diode conduction is higher, which
results in lower efficiency. In addition to this basic trade-
off, the effect of inductor value on ripple current and low
current operation must also be considered.
The inductor value has a direct effect on ripple current.
The inductor ripple current ΔIL decreases with higher
inductance or frequency and increases with higher VIN:
ΔIL=VIN
f L 1VIN
V
OUT
Accepting larger values of ΔIL allows the use of low
inductances, but results in higher output voltage ripple
and greater core losses. A reasonable starting point for
setting ripple current is ΔIL = 0.3(IMAX). The maximum
ΔIL occurs at VIN = 1/2VOUT.
The inductor value also has secondary effects. The transition
to Burst Mode operation begins when the average inductor
current required results in a peak current below 25% of
the current limit determined by R
SENSE
. Lower inductor
values (higher ΔIL) will cause this to occur at lower load
currents, which can cause 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
decrease. Once the value of L is known, an inductor with
low DCR and low core losses should be selected.
Also, for high duty cycle and/or high output voltage appli-
cations (particularly those operating near the maximum
BG duty factor), it is recommended to keep the operating
frequency at 400kHz or less.
Power MOSFET Selection for the BOOST Controller
Two external power MOSFETs must be selected for each
phase of the boost controller in the LTC3897-2: one
N-channel MOSFET for the bottom (main) switch, and
one N-channel MOSFET for the top (synchronous) switch.
The peak-to-peak drive levels are set by the DRVCC volt-
age. This voltage can range from 5V to 10V depending on
configuration of the DRVSET pin. Therefore, both logic-level
and standard-level threshold MOSFETs can be used in
most applications depending on the programmed DRVCC
voltage. Pay close attention to the BVDSS specification for
the MOSFETs as well.
The LTC3897-2s unique ability to adjust the gate drive
level between 5V to 10V (OPTI-DRIVE) allows an applica-
tion circuit to be precisely optimized for efficiency. When
adjusting the gate drive level, the final arbiter is the total
input current for the regulator. If a change is made and the
input current decreases, then the efficiency has improved.
If there is no change in input current, then there is no
change in efficiency.
Selection criteria for the power MOSFETs include the
on-resistance RDS(ON), Miller capacitance CMILLER, input
voltage and maximum output current. Miller capacitance,
CMILLER, can be approximated from the gate charge curve
usually provided on the MOSFET manufacturers data
sheet. C
MILLER
is equal to the increase in gate charge
along the horizontal axis while the curve is approximately
LTC3897-2
23
Rev. A
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APPLICATIONS INFORMATION
flat divided by the specified change in VDS. This result is
then multiplied by the ratio of the application applied VDS
to the gate charge curve specified VDS. When the IC is
operating in continuous mode, the duty cycles for the top
and bottom MOSFETs are given by:
Main SwitchDuty Cycle=
V
OUT
V
IN
VOUT
Synchronous SwitchDuty Cycle=VIN
V
OUT
If the maximum output current is IOUT(MAX) and each
channel takes one half of the total output current, the
MOSFET power dissipations in each channel at maximum
output current are given by:
PMAIN =(VOUT VIN)VOUT
V2IN
IOUT(MAX)
2
2
1+δ
( )
RDS(ON) +k VOUT3IOUT(MAX)
2 VIN
CMILLER f
PSYNC =VIN
V
OUT
IOUT(MAX)
2
2
1+δ
( )
RDS(ON)
where σ is the temperature dependency of R
DS(ON)
(approximately 1Ω). The constant k, which accounts for
the loss caused by reverse recovery current, is inversely
proportional to the gate drive current and has an empiri-
cal value of 1.7.
Both MOSFETs have I2R losses while the bottom N-channel
equation includes an additional term for transition losses,
which are highest at low input voltages. For high VIN the
high current efficiency generally improves with larger
MOSFETs, while for low VIN the transition losses rapidly
increase to the point that the use of a higher RDS(ON) device
with lower CMILLER actually provides higher efficiency.
The synchronous MOSFET losses are greatest at high
input voltage when the bottom switch duty factor is low
or during overvoltage when the synchronous switch is on
close to 100% of the period.
The term (1 + σ) is generally given for a MOSFET in the
form of a normalized RDS(ON) vs Temperature curve, but
σ = 0.005/°C can be used as an approximation for low
voltage MOSFETs.
Boost Converter CIN and COUT Selection
The input ripple current in a boost converter is relatively
low (compared with the output ripple current), because
this current is continuous. The voltage rating of the input
capacitor CIN at the input end of the boost converter
should comfortably exceed the maximum input voltage.
Although ceramic capacitors can be relatively tolerant of
overvoltage conditions, aluminum electrolytic capacitors
are not. Be sure to characterize the input voltage for any
possible overvoltage transients that could apply excess
stress to the input capacitors.
The value of CIN is a function of the source impedance, and
in general, the higher the source impedance, the higher the
required input capacitance. The required amount of input
capacitance is also greatly affected by the duty cycle. High
output current applications that also experience high duty
cycles can place great demands on the input supply, both
in terms of DC current and ripple current.
In a boost converter, the output has a discontinuous current,
so COUT must be capable of reducing the output voltage
ripple. The effects of ESR (equivalent series resistance) and
the bulk capacitance must be considered when choosing
the right capacitor for a given output ripple voltage. The
steady ripple voltage due to charging and discharging
the bulk capacitance in a single phase boost converter
is given by:
VRIPPLE =
I
OUT(MAX)
(V
OUT
V
IN(MIN)
)
C
OUT
V
OUT
f V
where COUT is the output filter capacitor.
The steady ripple due to the voltage drop across the ESR
is given by:
ΔVESR = IL(MAX) • ESR
LTC3897-2
24
Rev. A
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APPLICATIONS INFORMATION
The LTC3897-2s boost controller is configured as a
2-phase single output converter where the outputs of the
two channels are connected together and both channels
have the same duty cycle. With 2-phase operation, the
two channels are operated 180 degrees out-of-phase.
This effectively interleaves the output capacitor current
pulses, greatly reducing the output capacitor ripple current.
As a result, the ESR requirement of the capacitor can be
relaxed. Because the ripple current in the output capacitor
is a square wave, the ripple current requirements for the
output capacitor depend on the duty cycle, the number
of phases and the maximum output current. Figure3
illustrates the normalized output capacitor ripple current
as a function of duty cycle in a 2-phase configuration. To
choose a ripple current rating for the output capacitor,
first establish the duty cycle range based on the output
voltage and range of input voltage. Referring to Figure3,
choose the worst-case high normalized ripple current as
a percentage of the maximum load current.
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. Ceramic capacitors have excellent low ESR
characteristics but can have a high voltage coefficient.
Capacitors are now available with low ESR and high ripple
current ratings (e.g., OS-CON and POSCAP).
0.1
IORIPPLE /IOUT
0.9
38972 F03
0.3 0.5 0.7 0.8
0.2 0.4 0.6
3.25
3.00
2.75
2.50
2.25
2.00
1.75
1.50
1.25
1.00
0.75
0.50
0.25
0
DUTY CYCLE OR (1-VIN/VOUT)
1-PHASE
2-PHASE
Figure3. Normalized Output Capacitor Ripple
Current (RMS) for a Boost Converter
PolyPhase Operation
For output loads that demand high current, multiple
LTC3897-2s can be cascaded to run out-of-phase to provide
more output current and at the same time to reduce input
and output voltage ripple. The PLLIN/MODE pin allows the
LTC3897-2 to synchronize to the CLKOUT signal of another
LTC3897-2. The CLKOUT signal can be connected to the
PLLIN/MODE pin of the following LTC3897-2 stage to line
up both the frequency and the phase of the entire system.
Tying the PHASMD pin to INTVCC, SGND or floating
generates a phase difference (between PLLIN/MODE and
CLKOUT) of 240°, 60° or 90°, respectively, and a phase
difference (between CH1 and CH2) of 120°, 180°or 180°.
Figure4 shows the connections necessary for 3-, 4-, 6- or
12-phase operation. A total of 12 phases can be cascaded to
run simultaneously out-of-phase with respect to eachother.
LTC3897-2
25
Rev. A
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VOUT
SS
CLKOUT
0°, 180°
(4d) 12-Phase Operation
(4c) 6-Phase Operation
(4b) 4-Phase Operation
38972 F04
PLLIN/MODE
PHASMD
LTC3897-2
VFB ITH
RUN
+60° +60°
+60° +60°
+90°
SS
CLKOUT
60°, 240°
PLLIN/MODE
PHASMD
LTC3897-2
VFB ITH
RUN
SS
CLKOUT
120°, 300°
PLLIN/MODE
PHASMD
LTC3897-2
VFB ITH
RUN
SS
CLKOUT
210°, 30°
PLLIN/MODE
PHASMD
LTC3897-2
VFB ITH
RUN
+60° +60°
SS
CLKOUT
270°, 90°
PLLIN/MODE
PHASMD
LTC3897-2
VFB ITH
RUN
SS
CLKOUT
330°, 150°
PLLIN/MODE
PHASMD
LTC3897-2
VFB ITH
RUN
VOUT
SS
CLKOUT
0°, 180°
PLLIN/MODE
PHASMD
LTC3897-2
VFB ITH
RUN
SS
CLKOUT
60°, 240°
PLLIN/MODE
PHASMD
LTC3897-2
VFB ITH
RUN
SS
CLKOUT
120°, 300°
PLLIN/MODE
PHASMD
LTC3897-2
VFB ITH
RUN
+90°
VOUT
SS
CLKOUT
0°, 180°
PLLIN/MODE
PHASMD
LTC3897-2
VFB ITH
RUN
SS
CLKOUT
90°, 270°
PLLIN/MODE
PHASMD
LTC3897-2
VFB ITH
RUN
(4a) 3-Phase Operation
+120°
VOUT
INTVCC
SS
CLKOUT
0°, 240°
PLLIN/MODE
PHASMD
LTC3897-2
VFB ITH
RUN
SS
CLKOUT
120°, CHANNEL 2 NOT USED
PLLIN/MODE
PHASMD
LTC3897-2
VFB ITH
RUN
Figure4. PolyPhase Operation
LTC3897-2
26
Rev. A
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Setting Output Voltage
The LTC3897-2 output voltage is set by an external feed-
back resistor divider carefully placed across the output,
as shown in Figure5. The regulated output voltage is
determined by:
VOUT =1.2V 1+RB
R
A
Great care should be taken to route the VFB line away from
noise sources, such as the inductor or the SW line. Also keep
the VFB node as small as possible to avoid noise pickup.
LTC3897-2
VFB
VOUT
RB
RA
38972 F05
Figure5. Setting Output Voltage
Soft-Start (SS Pin)
The start-up of V
OUT
is controlled by the voltage on the
SS pin. When the voltage on the SS pin is less than the
internal 1.2V reference, the LTC3897-2 regulates the VFB
pin voltage to the voltage on the SS pin instead of 1.2V.
Soft-start is enabled by simply connecting a capacitor from
the SS pin to ground, as shown in Figure6. An internal
10µA current source charges the capacitor, providing a
linear ramping voltage at the SS pin. The LTC3897-2 will
regulate the VFB pin (and hence, VOUT) according to the
voltage on the SS pin, allowing V
OUT
to rise smoothly
from VIN to its final regulated value. The total soft-start
time will be approximately:
tSS =CSS 1.2V
1A
LTC3897-2
SS
CSS
SGND
38972 F06
Figure6. Using the SS Pin to Program Soft-Start
DRVCC and INTVCC Regulators (OPTI-DRIVE)
The LTC3897-2 features two separate internal P-channel
low dropout linear regulators (LDO) that supply power
at the DRVCC pin from either the VBIAS supply pin or the
EXTVCC pin depending on the connections of the EXTVCC
and DRVSET pins. A third P-channel LDO supplies power
at the INTVCC pin from the DRVCC pin. DRVCC powers the
gate drivers whereas INTVCC powers much of the LTC3897-
2’s internal circuitry. The VBIAS LDO and the EXTVCC LDO
regulate DRVCC between 5V to 10V, depending on how
the DRVSET pin is set. Each of these LDOs can supply a
peak current of at least 50mA and must be bypassed to
ground with a minimum of 4.7µF ceramic capacitor. Good
bypassing is needed to supply the high transient currents
required by the MOSFET gate drivers and to prevent inter-
action between the channels. The INTVCC supply must be
bypassed with a 0.1µF ceramic capacitor.
The DRVSET pin programs the DRV
CC
supply voltage.
Tying the DRVSET pin to INTVCC programs DRVCC to 10V.
Tying the DRVSET pin to GND programs DRV
CC
to 6V.
By placing a 50k to 100k resistor between DRVSET and
GND the DRVCC voltage can be programmed between 5V
to 10V, as shown in Figure7.
DRVSET PIN RESISTOR (kΩ)
50
4
DRVCC VOLTAGE (V)
5
7
8
9
11
55 75 85
38972 F07
6
10
70 95 100
60 65 80 90
Figure7. Relationship Between DRVCC
Voltage and Resistor Value at DRVSET Pin
LTC3897-2
27
Rev. A
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High voltage applications in which large MOSFETs are
being driven at high frequencies may cause the maxi-
mum junction temperature rating for the LTC3897-2 to
be exceeded. The DRVCC current, which is dominated by
the gate charge current, may be supplied by either the
VBIAS LDO or the EXTVCC LDO. When the voltage on the
EXTVCC pin is less than its switchover threshold (4.7V or
7.7V as determined by the DRVUV pin), the VBIAS LDO is
enabled. Power dissipation for the IC in this case is highest
and is equal to VBIAS IDRVCC. The gate charge current
is dependent on operating frequency as discussed in the
Efficiency Considerations section. The junction temperature
can be estimated by using the equations given in Note 2
of the Electrical Characteristics. For example, using the
LTC3897-2 in the QFN package and setting DRVCC to 6V,
the DRV
CC
current is limited to less than 47mA from a
40V supply when not using the EXTVCC supply at a 70°C
ambient temperature:
TJ = 70°C + (47mA)(40V – 6V)(34°C/W) = 125°C
In the FE package, , the DRVCC current is limited to less
than 57mA from a 40V supply when not using the EXTVCC
supply at a 70°C ambient temperature:
TJ = 70°C + (57mA)(40V – 6V)(28°C/W) = 125°C
To prevent the maximum junction temperature from being
exceeded, the VBIAS supply current must be checked while
operating in forced continuous mode (PLLIN/MODE =
INTVCC) at maximum VBIAS.
When the voltage applied to EXTVCC rises above its switch-
over threshold, the VBIAS LDO is turned off and the EXTVCC
LDO is enabled. The EXTVCC LDO remains on as long as the
voltage applied to EXTVCC remains above the switchover
threshold minus the comparator hysteresis. The EXTVCC
LDO attempts to regulate the DRVCC voltage to the voltage
as programmed by the DRVSET pin, so while EXTVCC is
less than this voltage, the LDO is in dropout and the DRVCC
voltage is approximately equal to EXTVCC. When EXTVCC
is greater than the programmed voltage, up to an absolute
maximum of 14V, DRVCC is regulated to the programmed
voltage. If more current is required through the EXTVCC
LDO than is specified, an external Schottky diode can be
added between the EXTVCC and DRVCC pins. In this case,
do not apply more than 10V to the EXTVCC pin and make
sure that EXTVCC VBIAS. Significant thermal gains can
be realized by powering DRVCC from an external supply.
Tying the EXTVCC pin to an 8.5V supply reduces the junction
temperature in the previous example from 125°C to 74°C:
TJ = 70°C + (47mA)(8.5V – 6V)(34°C/W) = 74°C
and from 125°C to 74°C in an FE package:
TJ = 70°C + (57mA)(8.5V – 6V)(34°C/W) = 74°C
The following list summarizes two possible connections
for EXTVCC:
1. EXTVCC grounded. This will cause DRVCC to be powered
from the internal VBIAS regulator resulting in an efficiency
penalty of up to 10% at high input voltages.
2. EXTVCC connected to an external supply. If an external
supply is available in the 5V to 14V range, it may be
used to power EXTVCC providing it is compatible with
the MOSFET gate drive requirements. Ensure that
EXTVCC ≤ VBIAS.
Topside MOSFET Driver Supply (CB)
External bootstrap capacitors, C
B
, connected to the BOOST
pins supply the gate drive voltage for the topside MOSFET.
The LTC3897-2 features an internal switch between DRV
CC
and the BOOST pin for each controller. These internal
switches eliminate the need for external bootstrap diodes
between DRVCC and BOOST. Capacitor CB in the Functional
Diagram is charged through this internal switch from DRV
CC
when the SW pin is low. When the topside MOSFET is to
be turned on, the driver places the CB voltage across the
gate-source of the MOSFET. This enhances the top MOSFET
switch and turns it on. The switch node voltage, SW,
rises to VIN and the BOOST pin follows. With the topside
MOSFET on, the boost voltage is above the input supply:
VBOOST = VIN + VDRVCC (VBOOST = VOUT + VDRVCC for the
boost controller). The value of the boost capacitor, CB,
needs to be 100 times that of the total input capacitance
of the topside MOSFET(s).
LTC3897-2
28
Rev. A
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Phase-Locked Loop and Frequency Synchronization
The LTC3897-2 has an internal phase-locked loop (PLL)
comprised of a phase frequency detector, a lowpass filter
and a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO). This allows the
turn-on of the bottom MOSFET of channel 1 to be locked
to the rising edge of an external clock signal applied to
the PLLIN/MODE pin. The turn-on of channel 2s bottom
MOSFET is thus 180 degrees out-of-phase with the external
clock. The phase detector is an edge-sensitive digital type
that provides zero degrees phase shift between the external
and internal oscillators. This type of phase detector does
not exhibit false lock to harmonics of the external clock.
If the external clock frequency is greater than the internal
oscillators frequency, fOSC, then current is sourced continu-
ously from the phase detector output, pulling up the VCO
input. When the external clock frequency is less than fOSC,
current is sunk continuously, pulling down the VCO input.
If the external and internal frequencies are the same but
exhibit a phase difference, the current sources turn on for
an amount of time corresponding to the phase difference.
The voltage at the VCO input is adjusted until the phase
and frequency of the internal and external oscillators are
identical. At the stable operating point, the phase detector
output is high impedance and the internal filter capacitor,
CLP , holds the voltage at the VCO input.
Typically, the external clock (on the PLLIN/MODE pin) input
high threshold is 1.6V, while the input low threshold is 1.2V.
Note that the LTC3897-2 can only be synchronized to
an external clock whose frequency is within range of the
LTC3897-2s internal VCO, which is nominally 55kHz
to 600kHz. This is guaranteed to be between 75kHz
and550kHz.
Rapid phase locking can be achieved by using the FREQ pin
to set a free-running frequency near the desired synchro-
nization frequency. The VCOs input voltage is prebiased
at a frequency corresponding to the frequency set by the
FREQ pin. Once prebiased, the PLL only needs to adjust
the frequency slightly to achieve phase lock and synchro-
nization. Although it is not required that the free-running
frequency be near external clock frequency, doing so will
prevent the operating frequency from passing through a
large range of frequencies as the PLL locks.
Table3 summarizes the different states in which the FREQ
pin can be used.
Table3.
FREQ PIN PLLIN/MODE PIN FREQUENCY
0V DC Voltage 350kHz
INTVCC DC Voltage 550kHz
Resistor DC Voltage 50kHz to 550kHz
Any of the Above External Clock Phase Locked to
External Clock
FREQ PIN RESISTOR (kΩ)
15
FREQUENCY (kHz)
600
700
35 45 5525
38972 F08
400
200
500
300
100
065 75 85
Figure8. Relationship Between Oscillator
Frequency and Resistor Value at the FREQ Pin
Minimum On-Time Considerations
Minimum on-time, tON(MIN), is the smallest time duration
that the LTC3897-2 is capable of turning on the bottom
MOSFET. It is determined by internal timing delays and
the gate charge required to turn on the top MOSFET. Low
duty cycle applications may approach this minimum on-
time limit.
In forced continuous mode, if the duty cycle falls below
what can be accommodated by the minimum on-time,
the controller will begin to skip cycles but the output will
continue to be regulated. More cycles will be skipped when
VIN increases. Once VIN rises above VOUT, the loop keeps
the top MOSFET continuously on. The minimum on-time
for the LTC3897-2 is approximately 90ns.
LTC3897-2
29
Rev. A
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Efficiency Considerations
The percent 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 greatest improvement. Percent 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, five main sources usually account for most of
the losses in LTC3897-2 circuits: 1) IC VBIAS current, 2)
DRVCC regulator current, 3) I2R losses, 4) bottom MOSFET
transition losses, 5) body diode conduction losses.
1. The VBIAS current is the DC supply current given in the
Electrical Characteristics table, which excludes MOSFET
driver and control currents. V
BIAS
current typically results
in a small (<0.1%) loss.
2. DRVCC current is the sum of the MOSFET driver and
control currents. The MOSFET driver current results from
switching the gate capacitance of the power MOSFETs.
Each time a MOSFET gate is switched from low to
high to low again, a packet of charge, ΔQ, moves from
DRVCC to ground. The resulting ΔQ/Δt is a current out
of DRVCC that is typically much larger than the control
circuit current. In continuous mode, IGATECHG=f(QT
+ QB), where QT and QB are the gate charges of the
topside and bottom side MOSFETs.
3. DC I2R losses. These arise from the resistances of the
MOSFETs, sensing resistor, inductor and PC board
traces and cause the efficiency to drop at high output
currents.
4. Transition losses apply only to the bottom MOSFET(s),
and become significant only when operating at low input
voltages. Transition losses can be estimated from:
Transition Loss=(1.7) VOUT3
V
IN
I
OUT(MAX)
2CRSS f
5. Body diode conduction losses are more significant at
higher switching frequency. During the dead time, the
loss in the top MOSFETs is IOUT VDS, where VDS is
around 0.7V. At higher switching frequency, the dead
time becomes a good percentage of switching cycle
and causes the efficiency to drop.
Other hidden losses, such as copper trace and internal
battery resistances, can account for an additional efficiency
degradation in portable systems. It is very important to
include these system-level losses during the design phase.
Overvoltage Fault
The LTC3897-2 limits the voltage at the IS pin during an
overvoltage situation. An internal voltage amplifier regu-
lates the SG pin voltage to maintain 1.235V at the SPFB
pin (Figure14). During this period of time, the N-channel
MOSFET MSG remains on and supplies current to the load.
This allows uninterrupted operation during brief overvolt-
age transient events.
If the voltage regulation loop is engaged for longer than the
timeout period, set by the timer capacitor, an overvoltage
fault is detected. The SG pin is pulled down to the CS pin
by a 130mA current, turning MSG off. This prevents MSG
from being damaged during a long period of overvoltage,
such as during load dump in automobiles. After the fault
condition has disappeared and a cool down period has
transpired, the SG pin starts to pull high again.
Overcurrent Fault
The LTC3897-2 features an adjustable current limit that
protects against output short circuits and excessive load
current. During an overcurrent event, the SG pin is regulated
to limit the current sense voltage across the IS+ and IS pins
to 50mV when IS is above 2.5V. The current limit sense
voltage is reduced to 27mV when IS
is below 1.5V for
additional protection during an output overcurrent event.
A current sense resistor is placed between IS+ and IS and
its value (RIS) is determined by:
RIS =
ΔV
IS
IIS
where IIS is the desired current limit.
LTC3897-2
30
Rev. A
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An overcurrent fault occurs when the current limit circuitry
has been engaged for longer than the timeout delay set by
the timer capacitor. The SG pin is then immediately pulled
low by 130mA to the CS pin, turning off the MOSFET MSG.
After the fault condition has disappeared and a cool down
period has transpired, the SG pin is allowed to pull back
up and turn on the pass device.
During a fault event, after the MOSFET MSG is turned off
suddenly, the voltage on V
P
node (see Figure17) will
discharge at a rate dependent on the amount of capaci-
tance on VP, the inductance value of the boost inductors
L1 and L2, and the load current. A diode DIN connected
between ground and the VP node is needed to provide a
path for the inductor currents to continue to flow until
they naturally discharge to zero. Since this diode only
conducts large current transiently during a fault event and
is normally reverse biased, it does not need to be rated
for a large DC current. For most applications, a ~1A rated
diode is sufficient.
Fault Timer
The LTC3897-2 includes an adjustable fault timer.
Connecting a capacitor from the TMR pin to ground sets
the delay period before the MOSFET MSG is turned off
during an overvoltage or overcurrent fault condition. The
same capacitor also sets the cool down period before MSG
is allowed to turn back on after the fault condition has
disappeared. Once a fault condition is detected, a current
source charges up the TMR pin. The current level varies
depending on the voltage drop across the VIN pin and the
IS pin, corresponding to the MOSFET VDS. The on time
is inversely proportional to the voltage drop across the
MOSFET. This scheme therefore takes better advantage
of the available safe operating area (SOA) of the MOSFET
than would a fixed timer current.
The timer current starts at around 2.5µA with 0.5V or
less of VIN VIS, increasing linearly to 53µA with 70V of
VIN–VIS during an overvoltage fault:
ITMR(UP)OV = 2.5µA + 0.73[µA/V] • (VIN VIS – 0.5V)
During an overcurrent fault, the timer current starts at
10µA with 0.5V or less of VIN VIS
and increases to
250µA with 70V of VIN – VIS:
ITMR(UP)OC = 10µA + 3.45[µA/V] • (VIN – VIS – 0.5V)
This arrangement allows the pass device to turn off faster
during an overcurrent event, since more power is dissipated
under this condition. Refer to the Typical Performance
Characteristics section for the timer current at different
VIN – IS in both overvoltage and overcurrent events.
When the voltage at the TMR pin, VTMR, reaches 1.25V,
and in the case of an overvoltage fault, the timer current
switches to a fixed 5µA. The interval between V
TMR
reaches
1.25V and the MOSFET MSG turning off is given by
tWARNING =
C
TMR
100mV
5µA
ITMR = 5µA ITMR = 5µA
0
0
1.25
1.35
1.25
TIME
TIME
38972 F09
tWARNING
20ms/µF
(9a) Overvoltage Fault Timer Current
(9b) Overcurrent Fault Timer Current
tWARNING
0.38ms/µF
tWARNING
20ms/µF
25ms/µF
4.8ms/µF
tWARNING
2.38ms/µF
29.8ms/µF
156ms/µF
1.35
VTMR (V)
VTMR (V)
VIN – IS = 70V
(ITMR = 53µA)
VIN – IS
= 70V
=10V
VIN – IS
= 70V
=10V
VIN – IS = 70V
(ITMR = 250µA)
VIN – IS = 10V
(ITMR = 43µA)
VIN – IS = 10V
(ITMR = 9.4µA)
Figure9. Fault Timer Current of the LTC3897-2
LTC3897-2
31
Rev. A
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This constant early warning period allows the boost control-
ler to perform housekeeping functions before the supply
is cut off. After VTMR crosses the 1.35V threshold, the
pass device MSG turns off immediately. Note that during
an overcurrent event, the timer current is not reduced to
5µA after VTMR has reached 1.25V threshold, since it would
lengthen the overall fault timer period and cause more
stress on the power transistor during an overcurrent event.
Assuming VIN IS remains constant, the on-time of SG
during an overvoltage fault is:
tOV =
C
TMR
1.25V
ITMR(UP)OV
+
C
TMR
100mV
5µA
and that during an overcurrent fault is:
tOC =CTMR 1.35V
ITMR(UP)OC
If the fault condition disappears after TMR reaches 1.25V
but is lower than 1.35V, the TMR pin is discharged by
2µA. If the boost controller is enabled, the value of CTMR
should be small, such as 1nF, to limit the large current
during an output overcurrent event.
Cool Down Period and Restart
As soon as TMR reaches 1.35V and SG pulls low in a
fault condition, the TMR pin starts discharging with a 2µA
current. When the TMR pin voltage drops to 0.15V, TMR
charges with 2.5µA. When TMR reaches 1.35V, it starts
discharging again with 2µA. This pattern repeats 32 times
to form a long cool down timer period before retry. At the
end of the cool down period (when the TMR pin voltage
drops to 0.15V the 32nd time), the LTC3897-2 retries,
pulling the SG pin up and turning on the pass device MSG.
The total cool down timer period is given by:
tCOOL =
32 C
TMR
1.2V
2µA
+
31 C
TMR
1.2V
2.5µA
Reverse Input Protection
The LTC3897-2 can withstand reverse voltage without
damage. The VIN, SGEN, SG, CS and DG pins can all
withstand up to –40V with respect to GND.
The LTC3897-2 controls a second N-channel MOSFET
(MDG) as an ideal diode to replace an in-line blocking diode
for reverse input protection with minimum voltage drop
in normal operation. In the event of an input short or a
power supply brownout, reverse current may temporarily
flow through M
DG
. The LTC3897-2 detects this reverse
current and immediately pulls the DG pin to the CS pin,
turning off MDG. This minimizes discharge of the output
reservoir capacitor and holds up the output voltage. In the
case where the input supply drops below ground, the CS
pin is pulled below ground through the body diode of MSG.
The LTC3897-2 responds to this condition by shorting the
DG pin to the CS pin, keeping MDG off.
1.35V
1.25V
SPFB
TMR
∆VSG
1.25V <1.25V
1st 2nd 31st
0.15V
32nd
38972 F10
OV < 1.25V CHECKED
COOL DOWN PERIOD
Figure10. Auto-Retry Cool Down Timer Cycle Following Overvoltage Fault
LTC3897-2
32
Rev. A
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Limiting Inrush Current and SG Pin Compensation
The LTC3897-2 limits the inrush current to any load
capacitance and through the inductor of the boost control-
ler by controlling the SG pin voltage slew rate. An external
capacitor, CSG, can be connected from SG to ground to
slow down the inrush current further at the expense of
slower turn-off time. The gate capacitor is set at:
CSG =
I
SG(UP)
I
INRUSH
CL
where ISG(UP) is the SG pin pull-up current, IINRUSH is
the desired inrush current, CL is total load capacitance
at the output. In typical applications, a CSG of 6.8nF is
recommended for loop compensation during overvoltage
and overcurrent events. With input voltage steps faster
than 5V/µs, a larger gate capacitor helps prevent self
enhancement of the N-channel MOSFET.
The added gate capacitor slows down the turn-off time
during fault conditions and allows higher peak currents
to build up during an output overcurrent event. If this is
a concern, an extra resistor, R3, in series with CSG can
restore the turn-off time (Figure14). A diode, D4, should
be placed across R3 with the cathode connected to CSG.
In a fast transient input step, D4 provides a bypass path
to CSG for the benefit of holding SG low and preventing
self enhancement.
Supply Transient Protection
The LTC3897-2 is tested to operate to 75V and guaranteed
to be safe from damage between 76V and −40V. Voltage
transients above 76V or below −40V may cause perma-
nent damage. During an overcurrent condition, the large
change in current flowing through power supply traces
coupled with parasitic inductances from associated wiring
can cause destructive voltage transients in both positive
and negative directions at the VIN, CS, and IS pins. To
reduce the voltage transients, minimize the power trace
parasitic inductance by using short, wide traces. A small
RC filter at the VIN pin filters high voltage spikes of short
pulse width.
Another way to limit supply transients above 76V at the
VIN pin is to use a Zener diode and a resistor, D1 and R1,
as shown in Figure11. D1 clamps voltage spikes at the
VIN pin while R1 limits the current through D1 to a safe
level during the surge. In the negative direction, D1 along
with R1 clamps the VIN pin near GND. The inclusion of R1
in series with the VIN pin increases the minimum required
supply voltage due to the extra voltage drop across the
resistor, which is determined by the supply current of the
LTC3897-2 and the leakage current of D1. 2.2k adds about
1V to the minimum operating voltage.
For sustained, elevated supply voltages, the power dissipa-
tion of R1 becomes unacceptable. This can be resolved
by using an external NPN transistor (Q1 in Figure11) as
a buffer. To protect Q1 against supply reversal, block the
collector of Q1 with a series diode or tie it to the cathode
of D2 and D3 in Figure14.
Transient suppressor D2 in Figure14 clamps the input
voltage to 200V for voltage transients higher than 200V,
to prevent breakdown of MSG. It also blocks forward con-
duction in D3. D3 limits the CS pin voltage to 24V below
GND when the input goes negative. CL helps absorb the
inductive energy at the output upon a sudden input short,
protecting the IS+ and IS pins.
VIN
LTC3897-2
GND
38972 F11
C1
100nF
Q1
PZTA42
VIN
200V
D1
CMZ5945B
68V
R1
22k
1/4W
Figure11. Buffering VIN to Extend Input Supply Range
MOSFET Selection for the Surge Stopper and
Ideal Diode
The LTC3897-2 drives two N-channel MOSFETs, M
SG
and MDG, as the pass devices to conduct the load current
(Figure14). The important features are on-resistance,
RDS(ON), the maximum drain-source voltage, BVDSS, the
threshold voltage, and the safe operating area, SOA.
LTC3897-2
33
Rev. A
For more information www.analog.com
APPLICATIONS INFORMATION
The maximum drain-source voltage rating must be higher
than the maximum input voltage. If the output is shorted to
ground or in an overvoltage event, the full supply voltage
will appear across MSG. If the input is shorted to ground,
MDG will be stressed by the voltage held up at the output.
The gate drive for both MOSFETs is guaranteed to be more
than 10V and less than 16V for those applications with VIN
higher than 8V. This allows the use of standard threshold
voltage N-channel MOSFETs. For systems with V
IN
less
than 8V, a logic-level MOSFET is required since the gate
drive can be as low as 5V. For supplies of 24V or higher,
a 15V Zener diode is recommended to be placed between
gate and source of each MOSFET for extra protection.
Transient Stress in the MOSFET
The SOA of the MOSFET must encompass all fault condi-
tions. In normal operation the pass devices are fully on,
dissipating very little power. But during either overvoltage
or overcurrent faults, the SG pin is controlled to regulate
either the input voltage for the boost converter or the
current through MOSFET M
SG
. Large current and high
voltage drop across MSG can coexist in these cases. The
SOA curves of the MOSFET must be considered carefully
along with the selection of the fault timer capacitor.
During an overvoltage event, the LTC3897-2 drives the
pass MOSFET MSG to regulate the input voltage of the
boost converter at an acceptable level. The load circuitry
may continue operating throughout this interval, but only
at the expense of dissipation in the MOSFET pass device.
MOSFET dissipation or stress is a function of the input
voltage waveform, regulation voltage and load current.
The MOSFET must be sized to survive this stress.
Most transient event specifications use the model shown
in Figure12. The idealized waveform comprises a linear
ramp of rise time tr, reaching a peak voltage of VPK and
exponentially decaying back to VIN with a time constant
of τ. A typical automotive transient specification has
constants of t
r
= 10µs, V
PK
= 80V and = 1ms. A surge
condition known as load dump has constants of tr =
5ms, VPK = 60V and τ = 200ms.
VPK
τ
VIN
38972 F12
tr
Figure12. Prototypical Transient Waveform
VPK = 80V
τ = 1ms
VIN = 12V
38972 F13
VREG = 16V
tr = 10µs
Figure13. Safe Operating Area Required to
Survive Prototypical Transient Waveform
MOSFET stress is the result of power dissipated within
the device. For long duration surges of 100ms or more,
stress is increasingly dominated by heat transfer; this is
a matter of device packaging and mounting, and heat sink
thermal mass. This is analyzed by simulation, using the
MOSFET’s thermal model.
For short duration transients of less than 100ms, MOSFET
survival is increasingly a matter of SOA, an intrinsic property
of the MOSFET. SOA quantifies the time required at any
given condition of VDS and ID to raise the junction tem-
perature of the MOSFET to its rated maximum. MOSFET
SOA is expressed in units of watt-squared-seconds (P2t),
which is an integral of P(t)2dt over the duration of the
transient. This figure is essentially constant for intervals
of less than 100ms for any given device type, and rises
to infinity under DC operating conditions. Destruction
mechanisms other than bulk die temperature distort the
lines of an accurately drawn SOA graph so that P2t is not
the same for all combinations of ID and VDS. In particular
P2t tends to degrade as VDS approaches the maximum
rating, rendering some devices useless for absorbing
energy above a certain voltage.
LTC3897-2
34
Rev. A
For more information www.analog.com
APPLICATIONS INFORMATION
Calculating Transient Stress for MSG
To select a MOSFET suitable for any given application,
the SOA stress of MSG must be calculated for each input
transient which shall not interrupt operation. It is then
a simple matter to choose a device which has adequate
SOA to survive the maximum calculated stress. P2t for a
prototypical transient waveform is calculated as follows
(Figure13).
Let:
a = VREG – VIN
b = VPK – VIN
where VIN = Nominal Input Voltage.
Then:
P2t=ILOAD2
1
3tr
(ba)3
b
+1
2τ2a2ln b
a+3a2+b2+4ab
Typically VREG VIN and τ >> tr simplifying the above to:
P2t=
1
2
ILOAD2VPK VREG
( )
2τ
For the transient conditions of VPK = 80V, VIN = 12V, VREG=
16V, tr = 10µs and τ = 1ms, and a load current of 3A,
P2t is 18.4W2s—easily handled by a MOSFET in a D-pak
package. The P2t of other transient waveshapes is evalu-
ated by integrating the square of MOSFET power versus
time. LTspice
®
can be used to simulate timer behavior for
more complex transients and cases where overvoltage
and overcurrent faults coexist.
Overcurrent Stress for MSG
SOA stress of M
SG
must also be calculated for output
overcurrent conditions. Short-circuit P2t is given by:
P2t=VIN ΔVIS
RIS
2
tOC
where ΔVIS is the overcurrent fault threshold and tOC is
the overcurrent timer interval.
For VIN = 15V, IS = 0V, ΔVIS = 25mV, RIS = 12mΩ and
C
TMR
= 100nF, P
2
t is 2.2W
2
s—less than the transient
SOA calculated in the previous example. Nevertheless,
to account for circuit tolerances this figure should be
doubled to 4.4W2s.
Checking Transient Response (Boost Controller)
The regulator loop response can be checked by looking at
the load current transient response. Switching regulators
take several cycles to respond to a step in DC (resistive)
load current. When a load step occurs, VOUT shifts by an
amount equal to ΔILOAD(ESR), where ESR is the effective
series resistance of COUT. ΔILOAD also begins to charge or
discharge COUT generating the feedback error signal that
forces the regulator to adapt to the current change and
return VOUT to its steady-state value. During this recovery
time VOUT can be monitored for excessive overshoot
or ringing, which would indicate a stability problem.
OPTI-LOOP
®
compensation allows the transient response
to be optimized over a wide range of output capacitance
and ESR values. The availability of the ITH pin not only
allows optimization of control loop behavior, but it also
provides a DC coupled and AC filtered closed loop response
test point. The DC step, rise time and settling at this test
point truly reflects the closed loop response. Assuming a
predominantly second order system, phase margin and/
or damping factor can be estimated using the percentage
of overshoot seen at this pin. The bandwidth can also be
estimated by examining the rise time at the pin. The ITH
external components shown in the Figure10 circuit will
provide an adequate starting point for most applications.
The ITH series RC CC filter sets the dominant pole-zero
loop compensation. The values can be modified slightly
to optimize transient response once the final PC layout
is complete and the particular output capacitor type and
value have been determined. The output capacitors must
be selected because the various types and values determine
the loop gain and phase. An output current pulse of 20%
to 80% of full-load current having a rise time of 1µs to
10µs will produce output voltage and ITH pin waveforms
that will give a sense of the overall loop stability without
breaking the feedback loop.
LTC3897-2
35
Rev. A
For more information www.analog.com
APPLICATIONS INFORMATION
Placing a power MOSFET and load resistor directly
across the output capacitor and driving the gate with an
appropriate signal generator is a practical way to produce
a realistic load step condition. The initial output voltage
step resulting from the step change in output current may
not be within the bandwidth of the feedback loop, so this
is why it is better to look at the ITH pin signal which is in
the feedback loop and is the filtered and compensated
control loop response.
The gain of the loop will be increased by increasing
R
C
and the bandwidth of the loop will be increased by
decreasing CC. If RC is increased by the same factor that
CC is decreased, the zero frequency will be kept the same,
thereby keeping the phase shift the same in the most
critical frequency range of the feedback loop. The output
voltage settling behavior is related to the stability of the
closed-loop system and will demonstrate the actual overall
supply performance.
A second, more severe transient is caused by switching
in loads with large (>1µF) supply bypass capacitors. The
discharged bypass capacitors are effectively put in parallel
with COUT , causing a rapid drop in VOUT . No regulator can
alter its delivery of current quickly enough to prevent this
sudden step change in output voltage if the load switch
resistance is low and it is driven quickly. If the ratio of
CLOAD to COUT is greater than 1:50, the switch rise time
should be controlled so that the load rise time is limited to
approximately 25 CLOAD. Thus, a 10µF capacitor would
require a 250µs rise time, limiting the charging current
to about 200mA.
Boost Converter Design Example
As a design example, assume V
IN
= 12V (nominal), V
IN
=22V
(max), VOUT=24V, IOUT(MAX)=8A, VSENSE(MAX)=95mV,
and f=350kHz.
The components are designed based on single channel
operation. The inductance value is chosen first based on a
30% ripple current assumption. Tie the FREQ pin to GND,
generating 350kHz operation. The minimum inductance
for 30% ripple current is:
The largest ripple happens when VIN = 1/2VOUT = 12V,
where the average maximum inductor current for each
channel is:
IMAX =
I
OUT(MAX)
2
VOUT
V
IN
=8A
A 6.8µH inductor will produce a 31% ripple current. The
peak inductor current will be the maximum DC value plus
one half the ripple current, or 9.25A.
The RSENSE resistor value can be calculated by using the
maximum current sense voltage specification with some
accommodation for tolerances:
RSENSE
75mV
9.25A
=0.008Ω
Choosing 1% resistors: RA = 24.9k and RB = 475k yields
an output voltage of 24.092V.
The power dissipation on the top side MOSFET in each chan
-
nel can be easily estimated. Choosing a Vishay Si7848BDP
MOSFET results in: RDS(ON)=0.012Ω, CMILLER=150pF.
At maximum input voltage with T(estimated)=50°C:
PMAIN =
(24V 12V) 24V
(12V)2(4A)2
1+(0.005)(50°C 25°C)
[ ]
0.008Ω
+(1.7)(24V)34A
12V
(150pF)(350kHz)=0.7W
COUT is chosen to filter the square current in the output.
The maximum output current peak is:
IOUT(PEAK) =8 1+31%
2
=9.3A
A low ESR (5mΩ) capacitor is suggested. This capacitor
will limit output voltage ripple to 46.5mV (assuming ESR
dominate ripple).
LTC3897-2
36
Rev. A
For more information www.analog.com
APPLICATIONS INFORMATION
Surge Stopper and Ideal Diode Design Example
As a design example, consider an application with the
following specifications: VIN = 6V to 14V DC with a peak
transient of 200V and decay time constant τ of 1ms, input
to the boost controller VIN-BOOST 27V, minimum current
limit ILIM(MIN) at 4A, and 1ms of overvoltage early warning
(Figure14).
Selection of CMZ5945B for D1 will limit the voltage at
the VIN pin to less than 71V during the 200V surge. The
minimum required voltage at the VIN pin is 4.2V when
input supply is at 6V; the supply current for LTC3897-2
is 1.3mA. The maximum value for R1 to ensure proper
operation is:
R1=6V 4.2V
1.3mA
=1.4k
Select 1.21k for R1 to accommodate all conditions. With the
minimum Zener voltage at 64V, the peak current through
R1 into D1 is then calculated as:
ID1(PK) =200V 64V
1.1k
=124mA
which can be handled by the CMZ5945B with a peak power
rating of 200W at 10/1000µs.
With a bypass capacitance of 0.1µF (C1), along with R1
of 1.21k, high voltage transients up to 250V with a pulse
width less than 10µs are filtered out at the VIN pin.
Next, calculate the resistive divider value to limit VIN-BOOST
to 27V during an overvoltage event:
VREG =1.235V (R4
+
R5)
R4
=27V
Choosing 250µA for the resistive divider:
R4 =1.235V
250µA
=5k
Select 4.99k for R4.
R5 =
(27V 1.235V) R4
1.235V
=104.3k
The closest standard value for R5 is 105k. Now, calculate
the sense resistor, RIS, value:
RIS =
ΔV
IS(MIN)
I
LIM
=45mV
4A =11mΩ
Choose 10mΩ for RIS.
+
IS
IS+
DGCSSG
TMRGND
CTMR
47nF
D1
CMZ5945B
68V
D2
1.5KE200A
MAX DC:
100V/–24V
MAX 1ms
TRANSIENT:
200V
D3
SMAJ24A
C1
0.1µF
CHG
0.1µF
R1
1.21k
0.5W
38972 F14
SGEN
DGEN
SPFB
R2
10Ω R3
100Ω
D4
1N4148W
VIN
12V
R5
104.3k
1%
R4
4.99k
1%
CL
22µF
VIN-BOOST
4A
CLAMPED AT 27V
MSG
FDB33N25
MDG
FDB3682
RIS
10mΩ
VIN
LTC3897-2
Figure14. 4A, 12V Overvoltage and Reverse Current Protection
LTC3897-2
37
Rev. A
For more information www.analog.com
APPLICATIONS INFORMATION
CTMR is then chosen for 1ms between when the TMR pin
reaches 1.25V and MSG turns off:
CTMR =
1ms A
100mV
=50nF
The closest standard value for CTMR is 47nF. Note that if
the boost controller is enabled,the value of CTMR should
be small, such as 1nF, to limit the large current during an
output overcurrent event.
The pass device, MSG, should be chosen to withstand an
output overcurrent condition with VIN = 14V. In the case
of a severe output overcurrent event where VIN-BOOST =
0V, ITMR(UP) =57µA and the total overcurrent fault time is:
tOC =CTMR VTMR(G)
ITMR(UP)
=47nF 1.35V
5A
=1.11mst
The maximum power dissipation in MSG is:
P=
ΔV
DS(M1)
ΔV
IS(MAX)
R
IS
=14V 33mV
10mΩ
=46.2W
The corresponding P2t is 2.7W2s.
During an output overload or soft short, the voltage at the
IS pin could stay at 2V or higher. The total overcurrent
fault time when VIN-BOOST = 2V is:
tOC =47nF 1.35V
4A
=1.35ms
The maximum power dissipation in MSG is:
P=
(14V 2V) 55mV
10mΩ
=66W
The corresponding P
2
t is 5.9W
2
s. Both of the above
conditions are well within the safe operating area of
FDB33N25.
To select the pass device, MDG, first calculate RDS(ON) to
achieve the desired forward drop VFW at maximum load
current (5.5A). If VFW = 0.25V:
RDS(ON)
V
FW
ILOAD MAX
( )
=
0.25V
5.5A =45.5mΩ
The FDB3682 offers a maximum RDS(ON) of 36mΩ at
VGS=10V so is a good fit. Its minimum BVDSS of 100V is
also sufficient to handle VIN-BOOST transients up to 100V
during an input short-circuit event.
PC Board Layout Checklist
When laying out the printed circuit board, the following
checklist should be used to ensure proper operation of
the IC. Figure15 illustrates the current waveforms pres-
ent in the various branches of the 2-phase synchronous
regulators operating in the continuous mode. Check the
following in your layout:
1. Put the bottom N-channel MOSFETs MBOT1 and MBOT2
and the top N-channel MOSFETs MTOP1 and MTOP2
in one compact area with COUT.
2. Are the signal and power grounds kept separate? The
combined IC signal ground pin and the ground return
of CIN must return to the combined COUT () terminals.
The path formed by the bottom N-channel MOSFET
and the capacitor should have short leads and PC trace
lengths. The output capacitor () terminals should be
connected as close as possible to the source terminals
of the bottom MOSFETs.
3. Does the LTC3897-2 VFB pins resistive divider connect
to the (+) terminal of COUT? The resistive divider must
be connected between the (+) terminal of COUT and
signal ground and placed close to the V
FB
pin. The
feedback resistor connections should not be along the
high current input feeds from the input capacitor(s).
4. Are the SENSE+ and SENSE leads routed together with
minimum PC trace spacing? The filter capacitor between
SENSE+ and SENSE should be as close as possible
to the IC. Ensure accurate current sensing with Kelvin
connections at the sense resistor.
5. Is the DRVCC and decoupling capacitor connected close
to the IC, between the DRVCC and the ground pin? This
capacitor carries the MOSFET drivers’ current peaks.
LTC3897-2
38
Rev. A
For more information www.analog.com
APPLICATIONS INFORMATION
6. Keep the switching nodes (SW1, SW2), top gate (TG1,
TG2) and boost nodes (BOOST1, BOOST2) away
from sensitive small-signal nodes, especially from
the opposites channels voltage and current sensing
feedback pins. All of these nodes have very large and
fast moving signals and, therefore, should be kept on
the output side of the LTC3897-2 and occupy a minimal
PC trace area.
7. Use a modified star ground technique: a low impedance,
large copper area central grounding point on the same
side of the PC board as the input and output capacitors
with tie-ins for the bottom of the DRV
CC
decoupling
capacitor, the bottom of the voltage feedback resistive
divider and the GND pin of the IC.
8. To achieve accurate current sensing for the IS+ and
IS pins, use Kelvin connections to the current sense
resistor. Limit the resistance from the CS pin to the
sources of the MOSFETs to below 10Ω. The minimum
trace width for 1oz copper foil is 0.02" per amp to ensure
the trace stays at a reasonable temperature. Note that
1oz copper exhibits a sheet resistance of about 530µΩ/
square. Small resistances can cause large errors in high
current applications. Noise immunity will be improved
significantly by locating resistive dividers close to the
pins with short VIN and GND traces.
L1
SW1
RSENSE1
VIN
CIN
RIN
BOLD LINES INDICATE
HIGH SWITCHING
CURRENT. KEEP LINES
TO A MINIMUM LENGTH.
SW2
38972 F15
RL
VOUT
L2
RSENSE2
COUT
Figure15. BOOST Converter Branch Current Waveforms
LTC3897-2
39
Rev. A
For more information www.analog.com
APPLICATIONS INFORMATION
PC Board Layout Debugging
Start with one controller on at a time. It is helpful to use
a DC-50MHz current probe to monitor the current in the
inductor while testing the circuit. Monitor the output
switching node (SW pin) to synchronize the oscilloscope
to the internal oscillator and probe the actual output volt-
age. Check for proper performance over the operating
voltage and current range expected in the application.
The frequency of operation should be maintained over the
input voltage range down to dropout and until the output
load drops below the low current operation threshold
typically 10% of the maximum designed current level in
Burst Mode operation.
The duty cycle percentage should be maintained from cycle
to cycle in a well designed, low noise PCB implementation.
Variation in the duty cycle at a subharmonic rate can sug-
gest noise pickup at the current or voltage sensing inputs
or inadequate loop compensation. Overcompensation of
the loop can be used to tame a poor PC layout if regulator
bandwidth optimization is not required. Only after each
controller is checked for its individual performance should
both controllers be turned on at the same time. A particu-
larly difficult region of operation is when one controller
channel is nearing its current comparator trip point while
the other channel is turning on its bottom MOSFET. This
occurs around the 50% duty cycle on either channel due
to the phasing of the internal clocks and may cause minor
duty cycle jitter.
Reduce VIN from its nominal level to verify operation with
high duty cycle. Check the operation of the undervoltage
lockout circuit by further lowering V
IN
while monitoring
the outputs to verify operation.
Investigate whether any problems exist only at higher
output currents or only at higher input voltages. If problems
coincide with high input voltages and low output currents,
look for capacitive coupling between the BOOST, SW, TG,
and possibly BG connections and the sensitive voltage
and current pins. The capacitor placed across the current
sensing pins needs to be placed immediately adjacent to
the pins of the IC. This capacitor helps to minimize the
effects of differential noise injection due to high frequency
capacitive coupling.
An embarrassing problem which can be missed in an oth-
erwise properly working switching regulator, results when
the current sensing leads are hooked up backwards. The
output voltage under this improper hook-up will still be
maintained, but the advantages of current mode control
will not be realized. Compensation of the voltage loop will
be much more sensitive to component selection. This
behavior can be investigated by temporarily shorting out
the current sensing resistor—don’t worry, the regulator
will still maintain control of the output voltage.
LTC3897-2
40
Rev. A
For more information www.analog.com
APPLICATIONS INFORMATION
FREQ
GND
SG
VBIAS
DG
IS
SPFB
IS+
DTC
VIN
CS
ITH
DRVCC
INTVCC
SS
DRVUV
DRVSET
SENSE2+
TG1
BOOST1
SENSE1
BG1
SW1
BG2
SENSE1+
SENSE2
TG2
BOOST2
SW2
VFB
SGEN
DGEN
RUN
TMR
LTC3897-2
38972 F16
CB1
0.1µF
CB2
0.1µF
CTMR
1nF
CDRV
4.7µF
RSENSE2
6mΩ
L2
22µH
RSENSE1
6mΩ
L1
22µH
CSS, 0.1µF
CITH, 15nF
CITHA, 15nF
CINT, F
CBIAS
0.1µF
RIS
2mΩ
RITH, 8.66k
RC
12.1k
RD
549k
RSG
10Ω
CSG
10nF
VIN
6V TO 55V*
VOUT
48V, 4A*
+
COUTA
56µF
CINB
56µF
+
CINC
4.7µF
× 3
CINA
4.7µF
DIN
VP
DBIAS
MTOP1
MBOT1
MTOP2
MBOT2
MSG MDG
MSG: INFINEON IPB020N10N5
MDG: INFINEON BSC035N10NS
MBOT1, MBOT2, MTOP1, MTOP2: INFINEON BSC028N06NS
L1, L2: WURTH 7443632200
DIN: VISHAY ES1B-E3
DBIAS: DIODES INC DFLS1150-7
COUTA, CINB: PANASONIC EEHZA1J560P
COUTB, CINA, CINC: TDK C3225X7S2A475M
CBIAS: AVX 06035C104KAT2A
COUTB
4.7µF
× 8
RB
475k
RA
12.1k
PINS NOT SHOWN IN THIS CIRCUIT:
PLLIN/MODE, ILIM, PHASMD, CLKOUT, EXTVCC
*WHEN VIN < 8V, MAXIMUM LOAD CURRENT AVAILABLE IS REDUCED.
VIN OPERATES THROUGH TRANSIENTS UP TO 75V. WHEN VIN > 48V,
VOUT FOLLOWS VIN UP TO 57V.
Figure16. High Efficiency 2-Phase 48V Boost Converter with In-Rush Current Control,
Overcurrent Protection, Input Voltage Surge Protection and Reverse Input Protection
LTC3897-2
41
Rev. A
For more information www.analog.com
APPLICATIONS INFORMATION
FREQ
GND
SG
VBIAS
DG
IS
SPFB
IS+
DTC
DRVUV
DRVSET
SGEN
DGEN
RUN
TMR
VIN
CS
ITH
DRVCC
INTVCC
SS
SENSE2+
TG1
BOOST1
SENSE1
BG1
SW1
BG2
SENSE1+
SENSE2
TG2
BOOST2
SW2
VFB
LTC3897-2
38972 F17
CB1
0.1µF
CB2
0.1µF
CDRV
4.7µF
RSENSE2
5mΩ
L2
3.5µH
RSENSE1
5mΩ
L1
3.5µH
RB
475k
RA
24.9k
CSS, 0.1µF
CITH, 4.7nF
CITHA, 220pF
CINT, F
CBIAS
0.1µF
RIS
2mΩ
RITH, 8.25k
RC
12.1k
RD
549k
RSG
10Ω
CSG
10nF
VIN
6V TO 55V*
VOUT
24V, 10A*
+
COUTA
56µF
CINB
56µF
+
CINC
4.7µF
× 3
CINA
4.7µF
DIN
DBIAS
MTOP1
MBOT1
MTOP2
MBOT2
MSG MDG
MSG: INFINEON IPB020N10N5
MDG: INFINEON BSC035N10NS
MBOT1, MBOT2, MTOP1, MTOP2: INFINEON BSC028N06NS
L1, L2: WURTH 7443556350
DIN: VISHAY ES1B-E3
DBIAS: DIODES INC DFLS1150-7
COUTA, CINB: PANASONIC EEHZA1J560P
COUTB, CINA, CINC: TDK C3225X7S2A475M
CBIAS: AVX 06035C104KAT2A
COUTB
4.7µF
× 8
CTMR
1nF
*WHEN VIN < 8V, MAXIMUM LOAD CURRENT AVAILABLE IS REDUCED.
VIN OPERATES THROUGH TRANSIENTS UP TO 75V. WHEN VIN > 24V,
VOUT FOLLOWS VIN UP TO 57V.
PINS NOT SHOWN IN THIS CIRCUIT:
PLLIN/MODE, ILIM, PHASMD, CLKOUT, EXTVCC
VP
Figure17. High Efficiency 2-Phase 24V Boost Converter with In-Rush Current Control,
Overcurrent Protection, Input Voltage Surge Protection and Reverse Input Protection
LTC3897-2
42
Rev. A
For more information www.analog.com
TYPICAL APPLICATIONS
High Efficiency 2-Phase 24V Boost Converter
(Input Supply Down to 2.3V After Start Up)
FREQ
GND
VBIAS
SPFB
IS
IS+
DG
CS
SG
VIN
DTC
DRVUV
DRVSET
SGEN
DGEN
RUN
TMR
ITH
DRVCC
INTVCC
SS
SENSE2+
TG1
BOOST1
SENSE1
BG1
SW1
BG2
SENSE1+
SENSE2
TG2
BOOST2
SW2
VFB
LTC3897-2
38972 TA02
CB1
0.1µF
CB2
0.1µF
CDRV
4.7µF
RSENSE2
5mΩ
L2
3.5µH
RSENSE1
5mΩ
L1
3.5µH
RB
475k
RA
24.9k
CSS, 0.1µF
CITH, 4.7nF
CITHA, 220pF
CINT, F
CBIAS
0.1µF
RITH, 8.25k
VIN
6V TO 55V*
DOWN TO 2.3V
AFTER START-UP
VOUT
24V, 10A*
+
COUTA
56µF
CINA
56µF
+
CINB
4.7µF
× 3
MTOP1
MBOT1
MTOP2
MBOT2
MBOT1, MBOT2, MTOP1, MTOP2: INFINEON BSC028N06NS
L1, L2: WURTH 7443556350
COUTA, CINA: PANASONIC EEHZA1J560P
COUTB, CINB: TDK C3225X7S2A475M
CBIAS: AVX 06035C104KAT2A
COUTB
4.7µF
× 8
CTMR
1nF
PINS NOT SHOWN IN THIS CIRCUIT:
PLLIN/MODE, ILIM, PHASMD, CLKOUT, EXTVCC
*WHEN VIN < 8V, MAXIMUM LOAD CURRENT AVAILABLE IS REDUCED.
WHEN VIN > 24V, VOUT FOLLOWS VIN UP TO 55V.
VP
LTC3897-2
43
Rev. A
For more information www.analog.com
TYPICAL APPLICATIONS
High Efficiency 2-Phase 48V Boost Converter with In-Rush Current Control, Input Voltage Surge Protection and Overcurrent Protection
(Ideal Diode Controller Not Used)
VP
FREQ
GND
DGEN
SG
VBIAS
DG
IS
SPFB
IS+
DTC
VIN
CS
ITH
DRVCC
INTVCC
SS
DRVUV
DRVSET
SENSE2+
TG1
BOOST1
SENSE1
BG1
SW1
BG2
SENSE1+
SENSE2
TG2
BOOST2
SW2
VFB
SGEN
RUN
TMR
LTC3897-2
38972 TA03
CB1
0.1µF
CB2
0.1µF
CTMR
1nF
CDRV
4.7µF
RSENSE2
6mΩ
L2
22µH
RSENSE1
6mΩ
L1
22µH
RB
475k
RA
12.1k
CSS, 0.1µF
CITH, 15nF
CITHA, 220pF
CINT, F
CBIAS
0.1µF
RIS
2mΩ
RITH, 8.66k
RSG
10Ω
CSG
10nF
VIN
6V TO 55V*
VOUT
48V, 4A*
+
COUTA
56µF
CINB
56µF
+
CINC
4.7µF
× 3
CINA
4.7µF
DIN
DBIAS
MTOP1
MBOT1
MTOP2
MBOT2
MSG
MSG: INFINEON IPB020N10N5
MBOT1, MBOT2, MTOP1, MTOP2: INFINEON BSC028N06NS
L1, L2: WURTH 7443632200
DIN: VISHAY ES1B-E3
DBIAS: DIODES INC DFLS1150-7
COUTA, CINB: PANASONIC EEHZA1J560P
COUTB, CINA, CINC: TDK C3225X7S2A475M
CBIAS: AVX 06035C104KAT2A
COUTB
4.7µF
× 8
PINS NOT SHOWN IN THIS CIRCUIT:
PLLIN/MODE, ILIM, PHASMD, CLKOUT, EXTVCC
*WHEN VIN < 8V, MAXIMUM LOAD CURRENT AVAILABLE IS REDUCED.
VIN OPERATES THROUGH TRANSIENTS UP TO 75V. WHEN VIN > 48V,
VOUT FOLLOWS VIN UP TO 57V.
LTC3897-2
44
Rev. A
For more information www.analog.com
TYPICAL APPLICATIONS
High Efficiency 2-Phase 48V Boost Converter with Reverse Input Protection
(Surge Stopper Controller Not Used)
VP
FREQ
GND
SGEN
SG
VBIAS
DG
IS
SPFB
IS+
DTC
VIN
CS
ITH
DRVCC
INTVCC
SS
DRVUV
DRVSET
SENSE2+
TG1
BOOST1
SENSE1
BG1
SW1
BG2
SENSE1+
SENSE2
TG2
BOOST2
SW2
VFB
DGEN
RUN
TMR
LTC3897-2
38972 TA04
CB1
0.1µF
CB2
0.1µF
CDRV
4.7µF
RSENSE2
6mΩ
L2
22µH
RSENSE1
6mΩ
L1
22µH
RB
475k
RA
12.1k
CSS, 0.1µF
CITH, 15nF
CITHA, 220pF
CINT, F
CBIAS
0.1µF
RITH, 8.66k
VIN
6V TO 48V*
VOUT
48V, 4A*
+
COUTA
56µF
CINB
56µF
+
CINC
4.7µF
× 3
CINA
4.7µF
DBIAS
MTOP1
MBOT1
MTOP2
MBOT2
MDG
MDG: INFINEON BSC035N10NS
MBOT1, MBOT2, MTOP1, MTOP2: INFINEON BSC028N06NS
L1, L2: WURTH 7443632200
DBIAS: DIODES INC DFLS1150-7
COUTA, CINB: PANASONIC EEHZA1J560P
COUTB, CINA, CINC: TDK C3225X7S2A475M
CBIAS: AVX 06035C104KAT2A
COUTB
4.7µF
× 8
PINS NOT SHOWN IN THIS CIRCUIT:
PLLIN/MODE, ILIM, PHASMD, CLKOUT, EXTVCC
*WHEN VIN < 8V, MAXIMUM LOAD CURRENT AVAILABLE IS REDUCED.
LTC3897-2
45
Rev. A
For more information www.analog.com
TYPICAL APPLICATIONS
High Efficiency 2-Phase 48V Boost Converter with Overcurrent Protection
(Ideal Diode and Surge Stopper Controllers at the Output)
RIS
5mΩ
RSG
10Ω
CSG
10nF
SG
VBIAS
DG
IS
SPFB
IS+
DTC
VIN
CS
ITH
DRVCC
INTVCC
SS
SENSE2+
TG1
BOOST1
SENSE1
BG1
SW1
BG2
SENSE1+
SENSE2
TG2
BOOST2
SW2
VFB
LTC3897-2
FREQ
GND
DRVUV
DRVSET
SGEN
DGEN
RUN
TMR
38972 TA05
CB1
0.1µF
CB2
0.1µF
CDRV
4.7µF
RSENSE2
6mΩ
L2
22µH
RSENSE1
6mΩ
L1
22µH
RB
475k
RA
12.1k
CSS, 0.1µF
CITH, 15nF
CITHA, 220pF
CINT, F
RITH, 8.66k
VIN
6V TO 48V*
VOUT
48V
4A*
CINB
56µF
+
CINC
4.7µF
× 3
CINA
4.7µF
MTOP1
MBOT1
MTOP2
MBOT2
MSG MDG
MSG: INFINEON IPB020N10N5
MDG: INFINEON BSC035N10NS
MBOT1, MBOT2, MTOP1, MTOP2: INFINEON BSC028N06NS
L1, L2: WURTH 7443632200
DOUT: VISHAY ES1B-E3
DBIAS: DIODES INC DFLS1150-7
COUTA, CINB: PANASONIC EEHZA1J560P
COUTB, COUTC, CINA, CINC: TDK C3225X7S2A475M
CBIAS: AVX 06035C104KAT2A
+
COUTA
56µF DOUT COUTC
4.7µF
× 8
COUTB
4.7µF
× 8
CTMR
1nF
PINS NOT SHOWN IN THIS CIRCUIT:
PLLIN/MODE, ILIM, PHASMD, CLKOUT, EXTVCC
*WHEN VIN < 8V, MAXIMUM LOAD CURRENT AVAILABLE IS REDUCED.
LTC3897-2
46
Rev. A
For more information www.analog.com
Nonsynchronous 107V/1.5A 2-Phase Boost Converter with In-Rush Current Control,
Overcurrent Protection, Input Voltage Surge Protection and Reverse Input Protection
FREQ
GND
SG
VBIAS
DG
IS
SPFB
IS+
DTC
VIN
CS
ITH
DRVCC
INTVCC
SS
DRVUV
DRVSET
SENSE2+
TG1
BOOST1
SENSE1
BG1
SW1
BG2
SENSE1+
SENSE2
TG2
BOOST2
SW2
VFB
SGEN
DGEN
RUN
TMR
LTC3897-2
38972 TA06
VP
CTMR
1nF
CDRV
4.7µF
RSENSE2
8mΩ
L2
58µH
RSENSE1
8mΩ
L1
58µH
RB
576k
RA
6.65k
CSS, 0.1µF
CITH, 15nF
CITHA, 220pF
CINT, F
CBIAS
0.1µF
RIS
2mΩ
RITH, 8.66k
RC
12.1k
RD
549k
RSG
10Ω
CSG
10nF
VIN
8.5V TO 36V
VOUT
107V, 1.5A
+
COUTA
100µF
CINB
47µF
+
CINC
6.8µF
× 3
CINA
4.7µF
DIN
DBIAS
D2
D1
MBOT1
MBOT2
MSG MDG
MSG: INFINEON IPB020N10N5
MDG: INFINEON BSC035N10NS
MBOT1, MBOT2,: INFINEON BSC360N15NS
L1, L2: PULSE PA2050-583
D1, D2: DIODES INC PDS4150
DIN: VISHAY ES1B-E3
DBIAS: DIODES INC DFLS1150-7
COUTA: PANASONIC EEV-EB2D101M
COUTB: TDK C5750X7R2E105K230KM
CINB: SUNCON 63CE47LX
COUTB, CINA: TDK C3225X7S2A475M
CINC: TDK C4532X7R1H685K
CBIAS: AVX 06035C104KAT2A
COUTB
F
× 8
PINS NOT SHOWN IN THIS CIRCUIT:
PLLIN/MODE, ILIM, PHASMD, CLKOUT, EXTVCC
TYPICAL APPLICATIONS
LTC3897-2
47
Rev. A
For more information www.analog.com
PACKAGE DESCRIPTION
5.00 ±0.10
NOTE:
1. DRAWING IS NOT A JEDEC PACKAGE OUTLINE
2. DRAWING NOT TO SCALE
3. ALL DIMENSIONS ARE IN MILLIMETERS
PIN 1
TOP MARK
(SEE NOTE 6)
43 44
2
1
BOTTOM VIEW—EXPOSED PAD
8.00
±0.10
0.75 ± 0.05 DETAIL A
0.75 ±0.05
R = 0.125
TYP
0.00 – 0.05
0.25 ±0.05
(UHG44(38)) QFN 1017 REV 0
0.50 BSC
0.325 REF
0.200 REF
6.50 REF
RECOMMENDED SOLDER PAD PITCH AND DIMENSIONS
APPLY SOLDER MASK TO AREAS THAT ARE NOT SOLDERED
3.50 REF
0.40 ±0.10
0.00 – 0.05
0.70 ±0.05
0.50 BSC1.00 BSC
6.50 REF
3.50 REF
4.10 ±0.05
5.50 ±0.05
0.25 ±0.05
5.05 ±0.05
2.65 ±0.05
7.10 ±0.05
8.50 ±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
0.35 × 45° CHAMFER
UHG Package
44(38)-Lead Plastic QFN (5mm × 8mm)
(Reference LTC DWG # 05-08-1616 Rev Ø)
2.65 ±0.10
1.08 1.58
DETAIL A
0.08 REF
0.31 REF
5.05
±0.10
LTC3897-2
48
Rev. A
For more information www.analog.com
Page Intentionally Left Blank
LTC3897-2
49
Rev. A
For more information www.analog.com
Information furnished by Analog Devices is believed to be accurate and reliable. However, no responsibility is assumed by Analog
Devices for its use, nor for any infringements of patents or other rights of third parties that may result from its use. Specifications
subject to change without notice. No license is granted by implication or otherwise under any patent or patent rights of Analog Devices.
REVISION HISTORY
REV DATE DESCRIPTION PAGE NUMBER
A 01/20 Minor typo corrections 13, 14, 18,
32, 37
LTC3897-2
50
Rev. A
For more information www.analog.com
ANALOG DEVICES, INC. 2020
01/20
www.analog.com
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TYPICAL APPLICATION
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Multiphase Dual Output Synchronous Step-Up
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4.5V (Down to 2.5V After Start-Up) ≤ VIN ≤ 38V, VOUT Up to 60V, 50kHz to 900kHz
Fixed Operating Frequency, 5mm × 5mm QFN-32, SSOP-28
LTC3787 Multiphase, Single Output Dual Channel
Synchronous Step-Up Controller
4.5 (Down to 2.5V After Start-Up) ≤ VIN ≤ 38V, VOUT Up to 60V, 50kHz to 900kHz
Fixed Operating Frequency, 4mm × 4mm QFN-28, SSOP-28
4-Phase 480W Single Output Boost Regulator
TG1
BG1
I1
I1
I2
I3
I4
BOOST: 24V, 5A
* RIPPLE CURRENT CANCELLATION INCREASES THE RIPPLE
FREQUENCY AND REDUCES THE RMS INPUT/OUTPUT RIPPLE
CURRENT, THUS SAVING INPUT/OUTPUT CAPACITORS
38972 TA07
PLLIN/MODE
PHASMD
INTVCC
LTC3897-2
CLKOUT
CIN
12V
24V, 20A
TG2
BG2 180°
I2
BOOST: 24V, 5A
TG1
BG1 90°
90,270
+90° I3
BOOST: 24V, 5A
PHASMD
LTC3897-2
PLLIN/MODE
TG2
BG2 270°
I4
BOOST: 24V, 5A
COUT
IIN
I*IN
I*COUT
RUN
SS
VFB
ITH
ITH
VFB
SS
RUN
ICOUT