SNVS665H June 2010 – October 2015 LMZ14202EXT
PRODUCTION DATA.
PCB layout is an important part of DC-DC converter design. Poor board layout can disrupt the performance of a DC-DC converter and surrounding circuitry by contributing to EMI, ground bounce and resistive voltage drop in the traces. These can send erroneous signals to the DC-DC converter resulting in poor regulation or instability. Good layout can be implemented by following a few simple design rules.
From an EMI reduction standpoint, it is imperative to minimize the high di/dt paths during PCB layout. The high current loops that do not overlap have high di/dt content that will cause observable high frequency noise on the output pin if the input capacitor (CIN1) is placed at a distance away from the LMZ14202EXT. Therefore, place CIN1 as close as possible to the LMZ14202EXT VIN and GND exposed pad. This will minimize the high di/dt area and reduce radiated EMI. Additionally, grounding for both the input and output capacitor must consist of a localized top side plane that connects to the GND exposed pad (EP).
The ground connections for the feedback, soft-start, and enable components must be routed to the GND pin of the device. This prevents any switched or load currents from flowing in the analog ground traces. If not properly handled, poor grounding can result in degraded load regulation or erratic output voltage ripple behavior. Provide the single point ground connection from pin 4 to EP.
Both feedback resistors, RFBT and RFBB, and the feed forward capacitor CFF, must be located close to the FB pin. Because the FB node is high impedance, maintain the copper area as small as possible. The trace are from RFBT, RFBB, and CFF must be routed away from the body of the LMZ14202EXT to minimize noise.
This reduces any voltage drops on the input or output of the converter and maximizes efficiency. To optimize voltage accuracy at the load, ensure that a separate feedback voltage sense trace is made to the load. Doing so will correct for voltage drops and provide optimum output accuracy.
Use an array of heat-sinking vias to connect the exposed pad to the ground plane on the bottom PCB layer. If the PCB has a plurality of copper layers, these thermal vias can also be employed to make connection to inner layer heat-spreading ground planes. For best results use a 6 × 6 via array with a minimum via diameter of 8 mils thermal vias spaced 59 mils (1.5 mm). Ensure enough copper area is used for heat-sinking to keep the junction temperature below 125°C.
For the design case of VIN = 24 V, VO = 3.3 V, IO = 2 A, TAMB(MAX) = 85°C , and TJUNCTION = 125°C, the device must see a thermal resistance from case to ambient of:
Given the typical thermal resistance from junction to case to be 1.9 °C/W. Use the 85°C power dissipation curves in the Typical Characteristics section to estimate the PIC-LOSS for the application being designed. In this application it is 1.5 W.
To reach RθCA = 24.8, the PCB is required to dissipate heat effectively. With no airflow and no external heat, a good estimate of the required board area covered by 1 oz. copper on both the top and bottom metal layers is:
As a result, approximately 20.2 square cm of 1-oz copper on top and bottom layers is required for the PCB design. The PCB copper heat sink must be connected to the exposed pad. Approximately thirty six, 8 mils thermal vias spaced 59 mils (1.5 mm) apart must connect the top copper to the bottom copper. For an example of a high thermal performance PCB layout, refer to AN-2024 LMZ1420x / LMZ1200x Evaluation Board, SNVA422.
The following recommendations are for a standard module surface mount assembly:
PROBE | MAX TEMP (°C) | REACHED MAX TEMP | TIME ABOVE 235°C | REACHED 235°C | TIME ABOVE 245°C | REACHED 245°C | TIME ABOVE 260°C | REACHED 260°C |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 242.5 | 6.58 | 0.49 | 6.39 | 0.00 | – | 0.00 | – |
2 | 242.5 | 7.10 | 0.55 | 6.31 | 0.00 | 7.10 | 0.00 | – |
3 | 241.0 | 7.09 | 0.42 | 6.44 | 0.00 | – | 0.00 | – |