JAJS247K June 2007 – June 2024 TPS74901
PRODUCTION DATA
The TPS74901 features a programmable, monotonic, voltage-controlled soft-start that is set with an external capacitor (CSS). This feature is important for many applications because power-up initialization problems are eliminated when powering FPGAs, DSPs, or other processors. The controlled voltage ramp of the output also reduces peak inrush current during start-up, minimizing start-up transient events to the input power bus.
To achieve a linear and monotonic soft-start, the TPS74901 error amplifier tracks the voltage ramp of the external soft-start capacitor until the voltage exceeds the internal reference. The soft-start ramp time is dependent on the soft-start charging current (ISS), soft-start capacitance (CSS), and the internal reference voltage (VREF), and can be calculated using Equation 2.
If large output capacitors are used, the device current limit (ICL) and the output capacitor can set the start-up time. In this case, the start-up time is given by Equation 3:
where:
In applications where monotonic start-up is required, the soft-start time given by Equation 2 must be set to be greater than Equation 3.
The maximum recommended soft-start capacitor is 0.015µF. Larger soft-start capacitors can be used and do not damage the device; however, the soft-start capacitor discharge circuit can possibly be unable to fully discharge the soft-start capacitor when enabled. Soft-start capacitors larger than 0.015µF can be a problem in applications where the enable pin must be rapidly pulsed while still requiring the device to soft-start from ground. CSS must be low-leakage; X7R, X5R, or C0G dielectric materials are preferred. See Table 7-1 for suggested soft-start capacitor values.
CSS(1) | SOFT-START TIME (Legacy Chip) | SOFT-START TIME (New Chip) |
---|---|---|
Open | 0.1ms | 0.25ms |
270pF | 0.5ms | 0.4ms |
560pF | 1ms | 0.8ms |
2.7nF | 5ms | 4.1ms |
5.6nF | 10ms | 8.5ms |
0.01µF | 18ms | 15ms |
Another option for setting the start-up rate is to use a feedforward capacitor. See the Pros and Cons of Using a Feedforward Capacitor with a Low-Dropout Regulator application note for more information.