Data Sheet
ADM7171
APPLICATIONS INFORMATION
ADIsimPOWER DESIGN TOOL
Input Bypass Capacitor
Connecting a 4.7 µF capacitor from VIN to GND reduces the
circuit sensitivity to PCB layout, especially when long input
traces or a high source impedance is encountered. If greater
than 4.7 µF of output capacitance is required, increase the input
capacitor to match it.
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Input and Output Capacitor Properties
Any good quality ceramic capacitors can be used with the
ADM7171 if they meet the minimum capacitance and
maximum ESR requirements. Ceramic capacitors are manufac-
tured with a variety of dielectrics, each with different behavior
over temperature and applied voltage. Capacitors require a
dielectric adequate to ensure the minimum capacitance over
the necessary temperature range and dc bias conditions. X5R
or X7R dielectrics with a voltage rating of 6.3 V to 100 V are
recommended. Y5V and Z5U dielectrics are not recommended,
due to their poor temperature and dc bias characteristics.
CAPACITOR SELECTION
Multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCC) combine small size, low
effective series resistance (ESR), low ESL, and wide operating
temperature range, making them an ideal choice for bypass
capacitors. They are not without limitations, however.
Depending on the dielectric material, the capacitance can vary
dramatically with temperature, dc bias, and ac signal level.
Therefore, selecting the proper capacitor results in the best
circuit performance.
Figure 57 depicts the capacitance vs. dc bias voltage of a 0805,
4.7 µF, 16 V, X5R capacitor. The voltage stability of a capacitor is
strongly influenced by the capacitor size and voltage rating. In
general, a capacitor in a larger package or higher voltage rating
exhibits better stability. The temperature variation of the X5R
dielectric is ~ 15% over the −40°C to +85°C temperature range
and is not a function of package or voltage rating.
5.0
Output Capacitor
The ADM7171 is designed for operation with small, space-
saving ceramic capacitors but functions with most commonly
used capacitors as long as care is taken with regard to the ESR
value. The ESR of the output capacitor affects the stability of the
LDO control loop. A minimum of 4.7 µF capacitance with an
ESR of 0.05 Ω or less is recommended to ensure the stability of the
ADM7171. Transient response to changes in load current is also
affected by output capacitance. Using a larger value of output
capacitance improves the transient response of the ADM7171 to
large changes in load current. Figure 56 shows the transient
responses for an output capacitance value of 4.7 µF.
4.5
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0
T
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
DC BIAS VOLTAGE (V)
1
Figure 57. Capacitance vs. DC Bias Voltage
Use Equation 1 to determine the worst-case capacitance accounting
for capacitor variation over temperature, component tolerance,
and voltage.
2
CEFF = CBIAS × (1 − TEMPCO) × (1 − TOL)
(1)
where:
B
B
CH1 500mA
CH2 20mV
M4.0µs
W
A CH1
570mA
W
C
BIAS is the effective capacitance at the operating voltage.
T 10.4%
TEMPCO is the worst-case capacitor temperature coefficient.
TOL is the worst-case component tolerance.
Figure 56. Output Transient Response, VOUT = 5 V, COUT = 4.7 µF
In this example, the worst-case temperature coefficient (TEMPCO)
over −40°C to +85°C is assumed to be 15% for an X5R dielectric.
Rev. C | Page 17 of 23