TPS72101, TPS72115
TPS72116, TPS72118
www.ti.com
SLVS352B – DECEMBER 2001 – REVISED MAY 2002
APPLICATION INFORMATION
TheTPS721xxfamilyoflow-dropout(LDO)regulatorsfunctionswithaverylowinputvoltage(>1.8V). Thedropoutvoltage
is typically 150 mVatfullload.Typicalquiescentcurrent(groundpincurrent)isonly85µAanddropsto1µAintheshutdown
mode.
DEVICE OPERATION
TheTPS721xx family can be operated at low input voltages due to low voltage circuit design techniques and a PMOS pass
element that exhibits low dropout.
A logic low on the enable input, EN, shuts off the output and reduces the supply current to less than 1 µA. EN may be tied
to V in applications where the shutdown feature is not used.
IN
Currentlimiting and thermal protection prevent damage by excessive output current and/or power dissipation. The device
switches into a constant-current mode at approximately 350 mA; further load reduces the output voltage instead of
increasingthe output current. The thermal protection shuts the regulator off if the junction temperature rises above 170°C.
Recoveryisautomaticwhenthejunctiontemperaturedropsapproximately20°Cbelowthehightemperaturetrippoint. The
PMOS pass element includes a back diode that safely conducts reverse current when the input voltage level drops below
the output voltage level.
A typical application circuit is shown in Figure 16.
TPS721xx
1
V
I
IN
5
4
V
O
OUT
0.1 µF
NC
3
EN
+
0.1 µF
GND
2
Figure 16. Typical Application Circuit
DUAL SUPPLY APPLICATION
In portable, battery-powered electronics, separate power rails for the DSP or microcontroller core voltage (V
) and I/O
CORE
peripherals (V ) are usually necessary. The TPS721xx family of LDO linear regulators is ideal for providing V
for
IO
(CORE)
the DSP or microcontroller. As shown in Figure 17, two AAA batteries provide an input voltage to a boost converter and
the TPS72115 LDO linear regulator. The batteries combine input voltage ranges from 3.0 V down to 1.8 V near the end
oftheirusefullives.Therefore,aboostconverterisnecessarytoprovidethetypical3.3VneededforV ,andtheTPS72115
IO
linear regulator provides a regulated V
voltage, which in this example is 1.5 V. Although there is no explicit circuitry
(CORE)
to perform power-up sequencing of first V
then V , the output of the linear regulator reaches its regulated voltage
(CORE)
IO
muchfaster (<400 µs) than the output of any switching type boost converter due to the inherent slow start up of those types
of converters. Assuming a boost converter with minimum V of 1.8 V is appropriately chosen, this power supply solution
I
can be used over the entire life of the two off-the-shelf AAA batteries. Thus, this solution is very efficient and the design
time and overall cost of the solution is minimized.
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