Data Sheet
ADP2121
APPLICATIONS INFORMATION
The external component selection for the ADP2121 applica-
tions circuit is driven by the load requirement and begins with
the selection of the inductor. After the inductor is chosen, CIN
and COUT can be selected. Components can be identified using
the selection guide and recommended selection tables in this
section.
ceramic capacitor, due to its small size and low equivalent series
resistance (ESR). Table 7 offers suggestions for suitable input
capacitors. All capacitors listed in the table are multilayer
ceramic capacitors.
It is recommended that the VIN pin be bypassed with a 2.2 µF
or larger ceramic input capacitor if the supply line has a distri-
buted capacitance of at least 10 μF. If not, then at least a 10 μF
capacitor is recommended on the input supply pin. The input
capacitor can be increased without any limit for better input
voltage filtering. X5R or X7R dielectrics with a voltage rating of
6.3 V or 10 V are recommended. Y5U and Z5U dielectrics are
not recommended, due to their poor temperature and dc bias
characteristics.
INDUCTOR SELECTION
The high switching frequency of the ADP2121 allows for minimal
output voltage ripple, even with small inductors. Inductor sizing
is a trade-off between efficiency and transient response. A small
inductor leads to a larger inductor current ripple, which provides
better transient response but degrades efficiency. Due to the high
switching frequency of the ADP2121, multilayer ceramic inductors
can be used for an overall smaller solution size. Shielded ferrite
core inductors are recommended for their low core losses and
low electromagnetic interference (EMI).
OUTPUT CAPACITOR SELECTION
The output capacitor selection affects both the output voltage ripple
and the loop dynamics of the converter. For a given loop crossover
frequency (the frequency at which the loop gain drops to 0 dB),
the maximum voltage transient excursion (overshoot) is inversely
proportional to the value of the output capacitor. The ADP2121
has been designed to operate with small ceramic capacitors in
the 4.7 µF to 10 µF range that have low ESR and equivalent
series inductance (ESL). These components are able, therefore,
to meet stringent output voltage ripple specifications. X5R or
X7R dielectrics with a voltage rating of 6.3 V are recommended.
Table 8 shows a list of output MLCC capacitors recommended
for ADP2121 applications. The minimum effective capacitance
required for stable operation is 1.5 µF.
As a guideline, the peak-to-peak current ripple of the inductor
is typically set to
ΔIL = 0.45 × ILOAD
(1)
where ILOAD is the maximum output current. The largest ripple
current, ΔIL, occurs at the maximum input voltage.
It is important that the inductor be capable of handling the
maximum peak inductor current, IPK, determined by the
following equation:
IPK = ILOAD(MAX) + ΔIL/2
(2)
The dc current rating of the inductor must be greater than the
calculated IPK to prevent core saturation. The ADP2121 is designed
for applications with a 0.47 µH inductor. Other values are not
recommended, and stable operation over all conditions is not
guaranteed with their use. Table 6 shows the available 0.47 µH
surface-mount inductors that have been tested with the ADP2121.
When choosing output capacitors, it is also important to account
for the loss of capacitance due to output voltage dc bias. This
may result in using a capacitor with a higher rated voltage to
achieve the desired capacitance value. Additionally, if ceramic
output capacitors are used, the capacitor rms ripple current
rating must always meet the application requirements. The rms
ripple current is calculated as
INPUT CAPACITOR SELECTION
The input capacitor must be able to support the maximum
input operating voltage and the maximum rms input current.
Select an input capacitor capable of withstanding the rms input
current for the maximum load current in the application using
the following equation:
VOUT × (VIN(MAX) − VOUT
L × fSW ×VIN(MAX)
)
1
2 3
Irms
=
×
(4)
(COUT )
At nominal load currents, the converter operates in pulse
frequency mode (PFM), and the overall output voltage ripple is the
sum of the voltage spike caused by the output capacitor ESR plus
the voltage ripple caused by charging and discharging the
output capacitor.
VOUT × (VIN − VOUT
)
Irms = IOUT(MAX)
×
(3)
VIN
The input capacitor reduces the input voltage ripple caused by
the switch currents on the VIN pin. Place the input capacitor
as close as possible to the VIN pin.
ΔVOUT = ΔIL × (ESR + 1/(8 × COUT × fSW))
(5)
The largest voltage ripple occurs at the highest input voltage.
At light load currents, if MODE is set low, then the converter
operates in the power-saving mode (PFM), and the output
voltage ripple increases.
In principle, different types of capacitors can be considered, but for
battery-powered applications, the best choice is the multilayer
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