Application Hints
OUTPUT CAPACITOR REQUIREMENTS
A 1.0 μF (or greater) capacitor is required between the output
and ground for stability at output voltages of 5V or higher. At
lower output voltages, more capacitance is required (2. 2μF
or more is recommended for 3.0V and 3.3V versions). Without
this capacitor the part will oscillate. Most types of tantalum or
aluminum electrolytic work fine here; even film types work but
are not recommended for reasons of cost. Many aluminum
electrolytics have electrolytes that freeze at about −30°C, so
solid tantalums are recommended for operation below −25°
C. The important parameters of the capacitor are an ESR of
about 5Ω or less and a resonant frequency above 500 kHz.
The value of this capacitor may be increased without limit.
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FIGURE 1. Output Capacitor ESR Range
The reason for the lower ESR limit is that the loop compen-
sation of the feedback loop relies on the capacitance value
and the ESR value of the output capacitor to provide the zero
that gives added phase lead (See Figure 1).
fZ = (1 / (2 x π x COUT x ESR) )
Using the 2.2 µF value from the Output Capacitor ESR
Range curve (Figure 1), a useful range for fZ can be estimat-
ed:
fZ(MIN)= (1 / (2 x π x 2.2 µF x 5Ω) ) = 14.5 kHz
fZ(MAX)= (1 / (2 x π x 2.2 µF x 0.05Ω) ) = 318 kHz
For ceramic capacitors, the low ESR produces a zero at a
frequency that is too high to be useful, so meaningful phase
lead does not occur. A ceramic output capacitor can be used
if a series resistance is added (recommended value of resis-
tance about 0.1Ω to 2Ω) to simulate the needed ESR. Only
X5R, X7R, or better, MLCC types should be used, and should
have a DC voltage rating at least twice the VOUT(NOM) value.
At lower values of output current, less output capacitance is
required for stability. The capacitor can be reduced to
0.33 μF for currents below 10 mA or 0.1 μF for currents below
1 mA. Using the adjustable versions at voltages below 5V
runs the error amplifier at lower gains so that more output
capacitance is needed. For the worst-case situation of a
100mA load at 1.23V output (Output shorted to Feedback) a
3.3 μF (or greater) capacitor should be used.
Unlike many other regulators, the LP2950 will remain stable
and in regulation with no load in addition to the internal voltage
divider. This is especially important in CMOS RAM keep-alive
applications. When setting the output voltage of the LP2951
versions with external resistors, a minimum load of 1 μA is
recommended.
Applications having conditions that may drive the LP2950/51
into nonlinear operation require special consideration. Non-
linear operation will occur when the output voltage is held low
enough to force the output stage into output current limiting
while trying to pull the output voltage up to the regulated value.
The internal loop response time will control how long it takes
for the device to regain linear operation when the output has
returned to the normal operating range. There are three sig-
nificant nonlinear conditions that need to be considered, all
can force the output stage into output current limiting mode,
all can cause the output voltage to over-shoot with low value
output capacitors when the condition is removed, and the
recommended generic solution is to set the output capacitor
to a value not less than 10 μF. Although the 10 μF value for
COUT may not eliminate the output voltage over-shoot in all
cases, it should lower it to acceptable levels (<10% of
VOUT(NOM)) in the majority of cases. In all three of these con-
ditions, applications with lighter load currents are more sus-
ceptible to output voltage over-shoot than applications with
higher load currents.
1) At power-up, with the input voltage rising faster than output
stage can charge the output capacitor.
VIN tRISE(MIN) > ((COUT / 100 mA) x ΔVIN)
Where ΔVIN = VOUT(NOM) + 1.0V
2) Recovery from an output short circuit to ground condition.
COUT(MIN)≈ (160 mA - ILOAD(NOM))/((VOUT(NOM)/10)/25 μs))
3) Toggling the LP2951 SHUTDOWN pin from high (i.e. OFF)
to low (i.e. ON).
COUT(MIN)≈ (160 mA - ILOAD(NOM))/((VOUT(NOM)/10)/25 μs))
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FIGURE 2. LP2951 Enable Transient
INPUT CAPACITOR REQUIREMENTS
A minimum 1 μF tantalum, ceramic or aluminum electrolytic
capacitor should be placed from the LP2950/LP2951 input pin
to ground if there is more than 10 inches of wire between the
input and the AC filter capacitor or if a battery is used as the
input.
ERROR DETECTION COMPARATOR OUTPUT
The comparator produces a logic low output whenever the
LP2951 output falls out of regulation by more than approxi-
mately 5%. This figure is the comparator's built-in offset of
about 60mV divided by the 1.235 reference voltage. (Refer to
15 www.national.com
LP2950/LP2951