SNVS639G December 2009 – December 2015 LM21305
PRODUCTION DATA.
The LM21305 converter is designed to operate from an input voltage supply range between 3 V and 18 V. The characteristics of the input supply must be compatible with the Absolute Maximum Ratings and Recommended Operating Conditions tables. In addition, the input supply must be capable of delivering the required input current to the loaded regulator. Estimate the average input current with Equation 35.
where
If the regulator is connected to the input supply through long wires or PCB traces with large impedance, special care is required to achieve good performance. The parasitic inductance and resistance of the input cables can have an adverse affect on the operation of the regulator. The parasitic inductance, in combination with the low ESR ceramic input capacitors, can form an under-damped resonant circuit. This circuit can cause overvoltage transients at the PVIN pin each time the input supply is cycled on and off. The parasitic resistance causes the PVIN voltage to dip when the load on the regulator is switched on or exhibits a transient. If the regulator is operating close to the minimum input voltage, this dip can cause false UVLO fault triggering and a system reset. The best way to solve these types of issues is to reduce the distance from the input supply to the regulator and use an aluminum or tantalum input capacitor in parallel with the ceramics. The moderate ESR of the electrolytic capacitors helps to damp the input resonant circuit and reduce any voltage overshoots. A value in the range of 20 µF to 100 µF is usually sufficient to provide input damping and help to hold the input voltage steady during large load transients.
Sometimes an EMI input filter is used in front of the regulator, which can lead to instability as well as some of the effects mentioned previously, unless carefully designed. The user guide Simple Success with Conducted EMI for DC-DC Converters, SNVA489, provides helpful suggestions when designing an input filter for any switching regulator.