TIDUF63A December 2023 – June 2024
The inductor is the most important component in power regulator design. There are three important inductor specifications: inductor value, saturation current, and DC resistance (DCR).
In a boost regulator, the inductor DC current can be calculated by Equation 1.
where
The inductor ripple current is calculated using Equation 2.
where
Therefore, the inductor peak current is calculated with Equation 3.
Normally, it is advisable to work with an inductor peak-to-peak current of less than 40% of the average inductor current for maximum output current. A smaller ripple from a larger valued inductor reduces the magnetic hysteresis losses in the inductor and EMI. But in the same way, load transient response time is increased. The saturation current of the inductor must be higher than the calculated peak inductor current.