LTC4090/LTC4090-5
APPLICATIONS INFORMATION
minimum switch-off time (~150ns). These equations show
that duty cycle range increases when switching frequency
is decreased.
A good choice of switching frequency should allow ad-
equate input voltage range (see next section) and keep
the inductor and capacitor values small.
HVIN Input Voltage Range
The maximum input voltage range for the LTC4090/
LTC4090-5 applications depends on the switching fre-
quency, the Absolute Maximum Ratings of the VHVIN and
BOOST pins, and the operating mode.
The high voltage switching regulator can operate from
input voltages up to 36V, and safely withstand input volt-
ages up to 60V. Note that while VHVIN > 41.5V (typical),
the LTC4090/LTC4090-5 will stop switching, allowing the
output to fall out of regulation.
While the high voltage regulator output is in start-up,
short-circuit, or other overload conditions, the switching
frequency should be chosen according to the following
discussion.
For safe operation at inputs up to 60V the switching fre-
quency must be low enough to satisfy VHVIN(MAX) ≥ 45V
according to the following equation. If lower VHVIN(MAX)
is desired, this equation can be used directly.
VHVIN(MAX)
=
VHVOUT + VD
fSW • tON(MIN)
–
VD
+
VSW
where VHVIN(MAX) is the maximum operating input voltage,
VHVOUT is the high voltage regulator output voltage, VD is
the catch diode drop (~0.5V), VSW is the internal switch
drop (~0.5V at max load), fSW is the switching frequency
(set by RT), and tON(MIN) is the minimum switch-on time
(~150ns). Note that a higher switching frequency will de-
press the maximum operating input voltage. Conversely,
a lower switching frequency will be necessary to achieve
safe operation at high input voltages.
If the output is in regulation and no short-circuit, start-
up, or overload events are expected, then input voltage
transients of up to 60V are acceptable regardless of the
switching frequency. In this mode, the LTC4090/LTC4090-5
may enter pulse skipping operation where some switch-
ing pulses are skipped to maintain output regulation. In
this mode the output voltage ripple and inductor current
ripple will be higher than in normal operation. Above 41.5V,
switching will stop.
The minimum input voltage is determined by either the high
voltage regulator’s minimum operating voltage of ~6V or by
its maximum duty cycle (see equation in previous section).
The minimum input voltage due to duty cycle is:
VHVIN(MIN)
=
VHVOUT + VD
1− fSWtOFF(MIN)
−
VD
+
VSW
where VHVIN(MIN) is the minimum input voltage, and
tOFF(MIN) is the minimum switch off time (150ns). Note
that higher switching frequency will increase the minimum
input voltage. If a lower dropout voltage is desired, a lower
switching frequency should be used.
Inductor Selection and Maximum Output Current
A good choice for the inductor value is L = 6.8μH (assum-
ing a 800kHz operating frequency). With this value the
maximum load current will be ~2.4A. The RMS current
rating of the inductor must be greater than the maximum
load current and its saturation current should be about
30% higher. Note that the maximum load current will be
programmed charge current plus the largest expected
application load current. For robust operation in fault
conditions, the saturation current should be ~3.5A. To
keep efficiency high, the series resistance (DCR) should
be less than 0.1Ω. Table 2 lists several vendors and types
that are suitable.
Table 2. Inductor Vendors
VENDOR URL
Murata www.murata.com
TDK
www.componenttdk.com
Toko www.toko.com
Sumida www.sumida.com
PART SERIES
LQH55D
SLF7045
SLF10145
D62CB
D63CB
D75C
D75F
CR54
CDRH74
CDRH6D38
CR75
TYPE
Open
Shielded
Shielded
Shielded
Shielded
Shielded
Open
Open
Shielded
Shielded
Open
4090fa
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