APPLICATION NOTES
BYPASS CAPACITORS:
OVERLOAD SHUTDOWN:
The regulators feature both current and thermal overload
protection. When the maximum power dissipation is not exceeded,
the regulators will current limit slightly above their 3 amp rating.
As the VIN-VOUT voltage increases, however, shutdown occurs
in relation to the maximum power dissipation curve. If the device
heats enough to exceed its rated die junction temperature due to
excessive ambient temperature, improper heat sinking etc., the
regulators also shutdown until an appropriate junction temperature
is maintained. It should also be noted that in the case of an extreme
overload, such as a sustained direct short, the device may not be
able to recover. In these instances, the device must be shut off
and power reapplied to eliminate the shutdown condition.
For most applications a 47uF, tantalum capacitor should
be attached as close to the regulator's output as possible. This
will effectively lower the regulator's output impedance, improve
transient response and eliminate any oscillations that may be
normally associated with low dropout regulators. Additional
bypass capacitors can be used at the remote load locations to
further improve regulation. These can be either of the tantalum or
the electrolytic variety. Unless the regulator is located very close
to the power supply filter capacitor(s), a 4.7uF minimum tantalum
capacitor should also be added to the regulator's input. An
electrolytic may also be substituted if desired. When substituting
electrolytic in place of tantalum capacitors, a good rule of thumb
to follow is to increase the size of the electrolytic by a factor of 10
over the tantalum value.
HEAT SINKING:
To determine if a heat sink is required for your application and
if so, what type, refer to the thermal model and governing equation
below.
LOAD REGULATION:
For best results the ground pin should be connected directly to
the load as shown below. This effectively reduces the ground loop
effect and eliminates excessive voltage drop in the sense leg. It is
also important to keep the output connection between the regulator
and the load as short as possible since this directly affects the load
regulation. If 20 gauge wire were used as an example, which has a
resistance of about 0.008 ohms per foot, this would result in a drop
of 8mV/ft at 1Amp of load current. It is also important to follow the
capacitor selection guidelines to achieve best performance. Refer
to Figure 2 for connection diagram.
Governing Equation: Tj = Pd x (Rθjc + Rθcs + Rθsa) + Ta
WHERE
Tj = Junction Temperature
Pd = Total Power Dissipation
Rθj = Junction to Case Thermal Resistance
Rθcs = Case to Heat Sink Thermal Resistance
Rθsa = Heat Sink to Ambient Thermal Resistance
Tc = Case Temperature
Ta = Ambient Temperature
Ts = Heat Sink Temperature
MSK5202 TYPICAL APPLICATION:
Low Dropout Positive and Negative Power Supply
EXAMPLE:
This example demonstrates an analysis where each regulator is at
one-half of its maximum rated power dissipation, which occurs when
the output currents are at 1.5 amps each. The negative regulator
is worst case due to the larger thermal resistance.
Conditions for MSK5202:
VIN = ±7.0V; Iout = ±1.5A
1.) Assume 45° heat spreading model.
2.) Find regulator power dissipation:
FIGURE 1
Pd = (VIN - VOUT)(Iout)
Pd = (7-5)(1.5)
Pd = 3.0W
Avoiding Ground Loops
3.) For conservative design, set Tj = +125°C Max.
4.) For this example, worst case Ta = +90°C.
5.) Rθjc = 4.7°C/W from the Electrical Specification Table.
6.) Rθcs = 0.15°C/W for most thermal greases.
7.) Rearrange governing equation to solve for Rθsa:
Rθsa = ((Tj - Ta)/Pd) - (Rθjc) - (Rθcs)
= (125°C - 90°C)/3.0W - (4.7°C/W) - ( 0.15°C/W)
= 6.8°C/W
The same exercise must be performed for the negative regulator.
In this case the result is 6.82°C/W. Therefore, a heat sink with a
thermal resistance of no more than 6.8°C/W must be used in this
application to maintain both regulator circuit junction temperatures
under 125°C.
FIGURE 2
8548-161 Rev. J 12/16
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