SNVS225H February 2003 – June 2015 LP3871 , LP3874
PRODUCTION DATA.
Good PC layout practices must be used or instability can be induced because of ground loops and voltage drops. The input and output capacitors must be directly connected to the input, output, and ground pins of the regulator using traces which do not have other currents flowing in them (Kelvin connect).
The best way to do this is to lay out CIN and COUT near the device with short traces to the IN, OUT, and ground pins. The regulator ground pin must be connected to the external circuit ground so that the regulator and its capacitors have a "single point ground".
It must be noted that stability problems have been seen in applications where "vias" to an internal ground plane were used at the ground points of the device and the input and output capacitors. This was caused by varying ground potentials at these nodes resulting from current flowing through the ground plane. Using a single point ground technique for the regulator and its capacitors fixed the problem.
Since high current flows through the traces going into IN and coming from OUT, Kelvin connect the capacitor leads to these pins so there is no voltage drop in series with the input and output capacitors.