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Rainbow Electronics MAX5974D User Manual

Page 19

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MAX5974A/MAX5974B/MAX5974C/MAX5974D

Active-Clamped, Spread-Spectrum,

Current-Mode PWM Controllers

19

Frequency Foldback for High-Efficiency

Light-Load Operation

The frequency foldback threshold can be programmed
from 0 to 20% of the full load current using a resistor from
FFB to GND.
When V

CSAVG

falls below V

FFB

, the device folds back

the switching frequency to 1/2 the original value to
reduce switching losses and increase the converter effi-
ciency. Calculate the value of R

FFB

as follows:

LOAD(LIGHT)

CS

FFB

FFB

10 I

R

R

I

Ч

Ч

=

where R

FFB

is the resistor between FFB and GND,

I

LOAD(LIGHT)

is the current at light-load conditions that

triggers frequency foldback, R

CS

is the value of the

sense resistor connected between CS and PGND, and
I

FFB

is the current sourced from FFB to R

FFB

(30FA typ).

Duty-Cycle Clamping

The maximum duty cycle is determined by the lowest
of three voltages: 2V, the voltage at SS (V

SS

), and the

voltage (2.43V - V

DCLMP

). The maximum duty cycle is

calculated as:

MIN

MAX

V

D

2.43V

=

where V

MIN

= minimum (2V, V

SS

, 2.43V - V

DCLMP

).

SS

By connecting a resistor between SS and ground, the
voltage at SS can be made to be lower than 2V. V

SS

is

calculated as follows:

SS

SS

SS-CH

V

R

I

=

×

where R

SS

is the resistor connected between SS and

GND, and I

SS-CH

is the current sourced from SS to R

SS

(10FA typ).

DCLMP

To set D

MAX

using supply voltage feed-forward, connect

a resistive divider between the supply voltage, DCLMP,
and GND as shown in the Typical Application Circuits.
This feed-forward duty-cycle clamp ensures that the
external n-channel MOSFET is not stressed during sup-
ply transients. V

DCLMP

is calculated as follows:

DCLMP2

DCLMP

S

DCLMP1

DCLMP2

R

V

V

R

R

=

×

+

where R

DCLMP1

and R

DCLMP2

are the resistive divider

values shown in the Typical Application Circuits and V

S

is the input supply voltage.

Oscillator Synchronization

The internal oscillator can be synchronized to an external
clock by applying the clock to DITHER/SYNC directly. The
external clock frequency can be set anywhere between
1.1x to 2x the internal clock frequency.
Using an external clock increases the maximum duty
cycle by a factor equal to f

SYNC

/f

SW

. This factor should

be accounted for in setting the maximum duty cycle
using any of the methods described in the Duty-Cycle
Clamping
section. The formula below shows how the
maximum duty cycle is affected by the external clock
frequency:

SYNC

MIN

MAX

SW

f

V

D

2.43V

f

=

×

where V

MIN

is described in the Duty-Cycle Clamping

section, f

SW

is the switching frequency as set by the

resistor connected between RT and GND, and f

SYNC

is

the external clock frequency.

Frequency Dithering for Spread-

Spectrum Applications (Low EMI)

The switching frequency of the converter can be dith-
ered in a range of Q10% by connecting a capacitor from
DITHER/SYNC to GND, and a resistor from DITHER to
RT as shown in the Typical Application Circuits. This
results in lower EMI.
A current source at DITHER/SYNC charges the capaci-
tor C

DITHER

to 2V at 50FA. Upon reaching this trip point,

it discharges C

DITHER

to 0.4V at 50FA. The charging

and discharging of the capacitor generates a triangular
waveform on DITHER/SYNC with peak levels at 0.4V and
2V and a frequency that is equal to:

TRI

DITHER

50 A

f

C

3.2V

µ

=

Ч