There are two pins to supply the LM5177
internal voltage regulators. Due to the internal supply voltage selection circuit,
the device can reduce the power dissipation through a seamless operation at low
input or output voltages as well as in transient operating conditions like an output
short. The VMAX switch selects the pin with the lower voltage from the VIN or BIAS
pin once the voltage on both is above the switch-over threshold (VT(VCC,
SUP)). If one pin voltage is lower than the threshold, the other supply
pin is selected. And if both pins are lower than the switch-over threshold, the
higher voltage of VIN or BIAS is selected as supply. The following are common
configurations for the supply pins:
- The VIN pin is connected to the
supply voltage. The BIAS pin is connected to VO. During start-up, that is as
long as the output voltage is not higher than the supply switch-over threshold,
the VIN supplies the internal regulators. Once VO is high enough, the
supply current comes from the BIAS pin.
- Both the VIN pin and the BIAS pin
are connected together to the input supply voltage. This configuration is often
used in applications where the input supply voltage is usually lower or equal
than the output voltage. As the BIAS pin is connected to the input voltage, the
device has the full current capability of the internal regulators at low input
voltages for start-up.
- The VIN is connected to the input
supply voltage and the BIAS pin is connected to an auxiliary supply (for
example, an existing 12V DC/DC converter). This configuration is commonly used
at high voltage applications on the input and output voltages where the power
dissipation over the integrated linear regulators must be further
minimized.