Advanced Power
Electronics Corp.
APE8837
Enable Function
Dropout Voltage
Current Limit
Thermal Shutdown Protection
APPLICATION INFORMATION
Input Capacitor
4
Thermal Shutdown protection limits total power dissipation of APE8837. When
the junction temperature exceeds TJ = +150°C, a thermal sensor turns off the pass
transistor, allowing the IC to cool down. The thermal sensor turns the pass transistor
on again after the junction temperature cools down by 40°C, resulting in a pulsed
output during continuous thermal shutdown conditions.
Thermal shutdown protection is designed to protect the APE8837 in the event of fault
conditions. For continuous operation, the absolute maximum operating junction
temperature rating of TJ = +125°C should not be exceeded.
EN1 and EN2 pin start and stop the corresponding outputs independently. When
the EN pin is switched to the power off level, the operation of all internal circuit stops,
the build-in P-channel MOSFET output transistor between pins VIN and VOUT is
switched off, allowing current consumption to be drastically reduced.
A regulator’s minimum input-output voltage differential, or dropout voltage,
determines the lowest usable supply voltage. The APE8837 use a P- channel
MOSFET pass transistor, its dropout voltage is function of drain-to-source on-
resistance RDS (ON) multiplied by the load current.
VDROPOUT = VIN-VOUT = RDS(ON) x IOUT
Each channel of APE8837 includes a fold back current limiter. It monitors and
controls the pass transistor’s gate voltage, estimates the output current, and limits the
output current within 250mA.
Like any low-dropout regulator, the APE8837 requires input and output
decoupling capacitors. The device is specifically designed for portable applications
requiring minimum board space and smallest components. These capacitors must be
correctly selected for good performance (see Capacitor Characteristics Section).
Please note that linear regulators with a low dropout voltage have high internal loop
gains which require care in guarding against oscillation caused by insufficient
decoupling capacitance.
An input capacitance of 1F is required between input pin and ground directly
(the amount of the capacitance may be increased without limit). The input capacitor
must be located less than 1cm from the device to assure input stability. A lower ESR
capacitor allows the use of less capacitance, while higher ESR type (like aluminum
electrolytic) requires more capacitance. Capacitor types (aluminum, ceramic and
tantalum) can be mixed in parallel, but the total equivalent input capacitance/ ESR
must be defined as above to stable operation. There are no requirements for the ESR
on the input capacitor, but tolerance and temperature coefficient must be considered
when selecting the capacitor to ensure the capacitance will be 1F over the entire
operating temperature range.