LM2597HVM-12 National Semiconductor, LM2597HVM-12 Datasheet - Page 22

• Manufacturer Part Number: LM2597HVM-12
• Description: SIMPLE SWITCHER Power Converter 150 kHz 0.5A Step-Down Voltage Regulator/ with Features
• Manufacturer: National Semiconductor

www.national.com
Application Information
FIGURE 16. Capacitor ESR vs Capacitor Voltage Rating
The consequences of operating an electrolytic capacitor
above the RMS current rating is a shortened operating life.
The higher temperature speeds up the evaporation of the ca-
pacitor’s electrolyte, resulting in eventual failure.
Selecting an input capacitor requires consulting the manu-
facturers data sheet for maximum allowable RMS ripple cur-
rent. For a maximum ambient temperature of 40˚C, a gen-
eral guideline would be to select a capacitor with a ripple
current rating of approximately 50% of the DC load current.
For ambient temperatures up to 70˚C, a current rating of
75% of the DC load current would be a good choice for a
conservative design. The capacitor voltage rating must be at
least 1.25 times greater than the maximum input voltage,
and often a much higher voltage capacitor is needed to sat-
isfy the RMS current requirements.
A graph shown in Figure 15 shows the relationship between
an electrolytic capacitor value, its voltage rating, and the
RMS current it is rated for. These curves were obtained from
the Nichicon “PL” series of low ESR, high reliability electro-
lytic capacitors designed for switching regulator applications.
Other capacitor manufacturers offer similar types of capaci-
tors, but always check the capacitor data sheet.
“Standard” electrolytic capacitors typically have much higher
ESR numbers, lower RMS current ratings and typically have
a shorter operating lifetime.
Because of their small size and excellent performance, sur-
face mount solid tantalum capacitors are often used for input
bypassing, but several precautions must be observed. A
small percentage of solid tantalum capacitors can short if the
inrush current rating is exceeded. This can happen at turn on
when the input voltage is suddenly applied, and of course,
higher input voltages produce higher inrush currents. Sev-
eral capacitor manufacturers do a 100% surge current test-
ing on their products to minimize this potential problem. If
high turn on currents are expected, it may be necessary to
limit this current by adding either some resistance or induc-
tance before the tantalum capacitor, or select a higher volt-
age capacitor. As with aluminum electrolytic capacitors, the
RMS ripple current rating must be sized to the load current.
OUTPUT CAPACITOR
C
and provide regulator loop stability. Low impedance or low
ESR Electrolytic or solid tantalum capacitors designed for
switching regulator applications must be used. When select-
ing an output capacitor, the important capacitor parameters
OUT
— An output capacitor is required to filter the output
(Typical Low ESR Electrolytic Capacitor)
DS012440-29
(Continued)
22
are; the 100 kHz Equivalent Series Resistance (ESR), the
RMS ripple current rating, voltage rating, and capacitance
value. For the output capacitor, the ESR value is the most
important parameter.
The output capacitor requires an ESR value that has an up-
per and lower limit. For low output ripple voltage, a low ESR
value is needed. This value is determined by the maximum
allowable output ripple voltage, typically 1% to 2% of the out-
put voltage. But if the selected capacitor’s ESR is extremely
low, there is a possibility of an unstable feedback loop, re-
sulting in an oscillation at the output. Using the capacitors
listed in the tables, or similar types, will provide design solu-
tions under all conditions.
If very low output ripple voltage (less than 15 mV) is re-
quired, refer to the section on Output Voltage Ripple and
Transients for a post ripple filter.
An aluminum electrolytic capacitor’s ESR value is related to
the capacitance value and its voltage rating. In most cases,
Higher voltage electrolytic capacitors have lower ESR values
(see Figure 16 ). Often, capacitors with much higher voltage
ratings may be needed to provide the low ESR values re-
quired for low output ripple voltage.
The output capacitor for many different switcher designs of-
ten can be satisfied with only three or four different capacitor
values and several different voltage ratings. See the quick
design component selection tables in Figure 1 and Figure 2
for typical capacitor values, voltage ratings, and manufactur-
ers capacitor types.
Electrolytic capacitors are not recommended for tempera-
tures below −25˚C. The ESR rises dramatically at cold tem-
peratures and typically rises 3X
10X at −40˚C. See curve shown in Figure 17 .
Solid tantalum capacitors have a much better ESR spec for
cold temperatures and are recommended for temperatures
below −25˚C.
CATCH DIODE
Buck regulators require a diode to provide a return path for
the inductor current when the switch turns off. This must be
a fast diode and must be located close to the LM2594 using
short leads and short printed circuit traces.
Because of their very fast switching speed and low forward
voltage drop, Schottky diodes provide the best performance,
especially in low output voltage applications (5V and lower).
Ultra-fast recovery, or High-Efficiency rectifiers are also a
good choice, but some types with an abrupt turnoff charac-
teristic may cause instability or EMI problems. Ultra-fast re-
covery diodes typically have reverse recovery times of 50 ns
or less. Rectifiers such as the 1N4001 series are much too
slow and should not be used.
@
−25˚C and as much as