SLVSEZ9 January 2019 TPS54540B
PRODUCTION DATA.
The TPS54540B requires an external catch diode between the SW pin and GND. The selected diode must have a reverse voltage rating equal to or greater than VIN(max). The peak current rating of the diode must be greater than the maximum inductor current. Schottky diodes are typically a good choice for the catch diode due to their low forward voltage. The lower the forward voltage of the diode, the higher the efficiency of the regulator.
Typically, diodes with higher voltage and current ratings have higher forward voltages. A diode with a minimum of 42-V reverse voltage is preferred to allow input voltage transients up to the rated voltage of the TPS54540.
For the example design, the PDS760-13 Schottky diode is selected for its lower forward voltage and good thermal characteristics compared to smaller devices. The typical forward voltage of the PDS760-13 is 0.52 volts at 5 A and 25°C.
The diode must also be selected with an appropriate power rating. The diode conducts the output current during the off-time of the internal power switch. The off-time of the internal switch is a function of the maximum input voltage, the output voltage, and the switching frequency. The output current during the off-time is multiplied by the forward voltage of the diode to calculate the instantaneous conduction losses of the diode. At higher switching frequencies, the ac losses of the diode need to be taken into account. The ac losses of the diode are due to the charging and discharging of the junction capacitance and reverse recovery charge. Equation 37 is used to calculate the total power dissipation, including conduction losses and ac losses of the diode.
The PDS760-13 diode has a junction capacitance of 300 pF. Using Equation 37, the total loss in the diode at the nominal input voltage is 1.9 W.
If the power supply spends a significant amount of time at light load currents or in sleep mode, consider using a diode which has a low leakage current and slightly higher forward voltage drop.