SNVS574G July 2008 – July 2019 LM3421 , LM3423
PRODUCTION DATA.
The input capacitance (CIN) provides energy during the discontinuous portions of the switching period. For buck and buck-boost regulators, CIN provides energy during tON and during tOFF, the input voltage source charges up CIN with the average input current (IIN). For boost regulators, CIN only needs to provide the ripple current due to the direct connection to the inductor. CIN is selected given the maximum input voltage ripple (ΔvIN-PP) which can be tolerated. ΔvIN-PP is suggested to be less than 10% of the input voltage (VIN).
An input capacitance at least 100% greater than the calculated CIN value is recommended to account for derating due to temperature and operating voltage. When PWM dimming, even more capacitance can be helpful to minimize the large current draw from the input voltage source during the rising transition of the LED current waveform.
The chosen input capacitors must also have the necessary RMS current rating. Ceramic capacitors are again the best choice due to their high ripple current rating, long lifetime, and good temperature performance. An X7R dielectric rating is suggested.
For most applications, TI recommends bypassing the VIN pin with an 0.1 µF ceramic capacitor placed as close as possible to the pin. In situations where the bulk input capacitance may be far from the controller, a 10-Ω series resistor can be placed between the bulk input capacitance and the bypass capacitor, creating a 150-kHz filter to eliminate undesired high-frequency noise.