9.2.2.1 Inductor Selection

The TPS62660 series of step-down converters have been optimized to operate with an effective inductance value in the range of 0.3 μH to 1.3 μH and with output capacitors in the range of 4.7 μF to 10 μF. The internal compensation is optimized to operate with an output filter of L = 0.47 μH and C_O = 4.7 μF. Larger or smaller inductor values can be used to optimize the performance of the device for specific operation conditions. For more details, see Checking Loop Stability.

The inductor value affects its peak-to-peak ripple current, the PWM-to-PFM transition point, the output voltage ripple, and the efficiency. The selected inductor must be rated for its DC resistance and saturation current. The inductor ripple current (ΔI_L) decreases with higher inductance and increases with higher V_I or V_O.

Equation 1.

where

• f_SW = switching frequency (6 MHz typical)
• L = inductor value
• ΔI_L = peak-to-peak inductor ripple current
• I_L(MAX) = maximum inductor current

In high-frequency converter applications, the efficiency is essentially affected by the inductor AC resistance (that is, quality factor) and to a smaller extent by the inductor DCR value. To achieve high-efficiency operation, take care in selecting inductors featuring a quality factor above 25 at the switching frequency. Increasing the inductor value produces lower RMS currents, but degrades transient response. For a given physical inductor size, increased inductance usually results in an inductor with lower saturation current.

The total losses of the coil consist of both the losses in the DC resistance (R_(DC)) and the following frequency-dependent components:

• The losses in the core material (magnetic hysteresis loss, especially at high switching frequencies)
• Additional losses in the conductor from the skin effect (current displacement at high frequencies)
• Magnetic field losses of the neighboring windings (proximity effect)
• Radiation losses

The following inductor series from different suppliers have been used with the TPS62660 converters.

9.2.2.2 Output Capacitor Selection

The advanced fast-response voltage mode control scheme of the TPS6266x allows the use of tiny ceramic capacitors. Ceramic capacitors with low ESR values have the lowest output voltage ripple and are recommended. For best performance, the device must operate within a minimum effective output capacitance of 1.6 μF. The output capacitor requires either an X7R or X5R dielectric. Y5V and Z5U dielectric capacitors, aside from their wide variation in capacitance over temperature, become resistive at high frequencies.

At nominal load current, the device operates in PWM mode and the overall output voltage ripple is the sum of the voltage step caused by the output capacitor ESL and the ripple current flowing through the output capacitor impedance.

At light loads, the output capacitor limits the output ripple voltage and provides holdup during large load transitions. A 4.7-μF capacitor typically provides sufficient bulk capacitance to stabilize the output during large load transitions. The typical output voltage ripple is 1% of the nominal output voltage V_O.

The output voltage ripple during PFM mode operation can be kept very small. The PFM pulse is time controlled, which allows to modify the charge transferred to the output capacitor by the value of the inductor. The resulting PFM output voltage ripple and PFM frequency depend in first order on the size of the output capacitor and the inductor value. The PFM frequency decreases with smaller inductor values and increases with larger once. Increasing the output capacitor value and the effective inductance minimizes the output ripple voltage.

9.2.2.3 Input Capacitor Selection

Because of the nature of the buck converter having a pulsating input current, a low ESR input capacitor is required to prevent large voltage transients that can cause misbehavior of the device or interferences with other circuits in the system. For most applications, a 4.7-μF capacitor is sufficient. If the application exhibits a noisy or erratic switching frequency, the remedy is probably found by experimenting with the value of the input capacitor.

Take care when using only ceramic input capacitors. When a ceramic capacitor is used at the input and the power is being supplied through long wires, such as from a wall adapter, a load step at the output can induce ringing at the VIN pin. This ringing can couple to the output and be mistaken as loop instability or could even damage the part. Additional bulk capacitance (electrolytic or tantalum) must in this circumstance be placed between C_I and the power source lead to reduce ringing than can occur between the inductance of the power source leads and C_I.

9.2.2.4 Checking Loop Stability

The first step of circuit and stability evaluation is to look from a steady-state perspective at the following signals:

• Switching node, SW
• Inductor current, I_L
• Output ripple voltage, V_O(AC)

These are the basic signals that need to be measured when evaluating a switching converter. When the switching waveform shows large duty cycle jitter or the output voltage or inductor current shows oscillations, the regulation loop may be unstable. This is often a result of board layout or L-C combination.

As a next step in the evaluation of the regulation loop, the load transient response is tested. The time between the application of the load transient and the turnon of the P-channel MOSFET, the output capacitor must supply all of the current required by the load. V_O immediately shifts by an amount equal to ΔI_(LOAD)  ×  ESR, where ESR is the effective series resistance of C_O. ΔI_(LOAD) begins to charge or discharge C_O generating a feedback error signal used by the regulator to return V_O to its steady-state value. The results are most easily interpreted when the device operates in PWM mode.

During this recovery time, V_O can be monitored for settling time, overshoot or ringing that helps judge the converter’s stability. Without any ringing, the loop has usually more than 45° of phase margin.

Because the damping factor of the circuitry is directly related to several resistive parameters (for example, MOSFET r_DS(on)) that are temperature dependant, the loop stability analysis has to be done over the input voltage range, load current range, and temperature range.